Gears of War: Children of War
by S1leNt RIP
Summary: Following a group of stranded orphans as they set out on an unorthodox trip, this is a story about adventure, memorable characters, love, and loss. Takes place about two hours before the events of Gears 1 and features Rojas, Baird, Cole and Alpha squad.
1. Chapter 1: Children of War

**Authors Note: This is my first piece of creative writing so you will have to give me a little leeway in the first few chapters. If you are having trouble getting into the story, I would suggest reading chapter three or seven. Have fun, enjoy, and leave me feedback, good or bad! **

**Gears of War:**

**Children of War**

Chapter 1

Children of War

It was a sunny day on the outskirts of Jacinto plateau. A pleasant day if any could be called pleasant.

Daze awoke to the familiar sound of gunfire away in the distance, a usual occurrence with the Locust becoming more and more bold, having breached the plateau they were causing death and destruction wherever they went.

And that's were the stranded were left…between a rock and a hard place, scraping a living out in the dirt, dodging the Locust or grouping in sufficient numbers to put up a rag tag resistance, eating rats and birds and the occasional COG handout, freezing on winter nights and baking in the summer heat, most wearing nothing but rags. It was hard, but it had its bright spots. The fact that they were alive was cause enough for joy when so many were not. And living near the fortress had its perks; sometimes the COG would get generous and hand out blankets and clothes.

And Teresa had connections on the inside. Teresa was like a mother to the orphans. She had lost all three of her children and her husband on E-day, and instead of living the rest of her life in seclusion she decided to find a house and set up an orphanage to take in as many children and teens as she could.

Even though they weren't originally stranded, they lived right near the edge of the plateau, and the Locust pushed the Gears lines back so far the first day they breached the plateau, that they had to either abandon the orphanage or stay and risk being found by the locust. They decided to stay, and after the initial onslaught the Locust rarely came too near.

Daze had been a relatively latecomer to the orphanage, but having lived right next to it, and being best friends with some of the teens there, had made it an easy choice once he lost his father.

Daze had been an only child and had lost his mother on E-day. His dad joined the COG and instantly began moving up the Coalition ranks, becoming a Major and getting numerous awards for leading his squad. He also quickly gained the respect of his superiors, but more importantly

to him, the respect of his son.

He was out on patrol the day the Horde first breached the plateau and was cut off from retreat.

He had almost got his squad back when they were ambushed by a group of Locust. He was bringing up the rear when the Locust opened fire. Taking a bullet in the leg, he turned as he fell and emptied his Lancer into them as they rushed, reloaded and began to fire again before they got to him. Even after he ran out of ammo he continued to hack at them with his chainsaw until his squad was able to drive them back, but had lost too much blood, by the time they got to him that there was nothing they could do. He asked his friend and second in command, Rojas, to gave Daze his COG tags, revolver and knife, which he did.

Daze had mourned the loss of his father greatly and, taking his dads extra pair of combat pants, ammo belt, knife, revolver and COG tags, set out to see if his friends were still alive.

Daze was now seventeen. It had been almost three years since Daze had come to stay at the orphanage for good. When he got there he had found the windows boarded up and the door locked. He had knocked on the door and was beginning to lose hope when Justin opened the door.

Justin, eighteen, was Daze's best friend, he was not very tall, but what he lacked in height he made up for in strength. He was also funny, which was quite an accomplishment when there was so little to laugh about.

Daze had a few other close friends. Clara, sixteen, who was Justin's girlfriend, as well as Susan and Jordan. Clara was short and pale skinned with short brown hair and brown eyes, she was fast and agile and loved to run. Jordan was tall, dark skinned and strong, strong enough to pick up Susan in one arm whenever he felt like it…which was a lot.

Susan was tall and oriental looking with long black hair and a more serious, mature attitude compared to Jordan, who liked to make jokes and tickle and be immature sometimes. They had loved each other from the first time they met four years ago, and had been planning to get married as soon as possible.

Daze looked around the room. Justin was sitting on his bed reading, while Jordan was just starting to stir.

"Good Morning" said Justin cheerily.

" Is it?" Daze groaned.

" Yea man" Jordan sat up. "yizer it's a good morning, I been waiting a long time for this man!"

"Just cause you guys all plan to get married today doesn't mean its just a walk in the park to get to the Fortress."

" We know what we're doing" Justin said.

"I'm just worried we're gonna run into some locust before we get there." said Daze.

"You coming too?" Jordan asked.

"Someone's gotta make sure you guys get back in one piece." Daze said.

"Hello! We know what we're doing remember".

"I know, I'm just giving you grief". Daze said.

"Yeah well, we better get to breakfast, we have to start early if we want to get there and back before dark" said Justin.

Daze got out of bed, put on his pants and buckled up his ammo belt. Then strapped on his fathers revolver, belted on his knife and went down stairs to join the rest of them.

Teresa had gotten up early to make them breakfast so they could get an early start to the fortress.

"I still don't understand why you guys have to go out there and get officially married when none of us care if you guys call your selves married or not." Teresa said as they sat down.

"You know I'm serious about my faith Teresa. I just want it to be right." Jordan said "and besides, its not like we've never been there by our selves."

"Faith! Pff Faith in what! The only thing I got faith in is that the Locust hate us! That's it. Heck, the sun will rise fall on it." Daze said irritably. "Ah sorry. I didn't mean to get carried away"

"Whatever, but you guys better be careful." Teresa said " Remember, HIDE don't fight."

"Don't worry about it." Clara said " The Locust haven't made a large scale attack for at least two weeks, why should they start today."

" Hmph, Yeah, Why today?"

"Quit fussing already!" Clara said.

"Yeah yeah, whatever! Get going" Teresa said. "Love ya, See ya tonight!"

Daze took a couple more bites as the rest got up to leave. He couldn't understand why they would want to do this. Just say you're married and be done with it! But they where his friends, and he'd do anything for them. Even if it meant some crazy scheme to get to the fortress.

He walked outside into the cool morning air. Fresh and bright, though with a subtle hint of gun smoke, again, a usual occurrence.

Since they were going to the fortress they might as well pick up any ammo they came across on the way.

Once they had been attacked at the orphanage by a scouting group of locust. The grubs had seen one of the kids going in and tried to rush the front door, where they were met by a blast of gunfire. There had been about seven when they attacked, they lost three in that first wave and resolved to try and draw out anyone who might be inside. Meanwhile the guys had taken the few guns they had and waited at the windows, making sure not to give away they're numbers. After a bit Daze decided to go out the back and draw them away before more came. He took a couple pot-shots with his revolver and then ran hoping they'd follow. They did. He had to do some free running moves he'd never tried before to lose them. Teresa had scolded him for doing it, but also thanked him for possibly saving them.

He was catching up to the others when he heard some more gunfire, this time it was closer than before.

He started to run. He got to the rest of them with out hearing any more shots. But he was still uneasy.

"How far you think that was?" he asked Justin

"Couple miles I'd say."

"No more than five for sure" Jordan said.

"Lets just keep our eyes open" Susan put in.

"All right, keep moving" Daze said.

They came around a corner into an open street. Daze saw something move.

"Hide!" he said quickly.

Instantly they all faded in to the various hiding spots found in a partially destroyed city.

Daze snuck up a little farther to see if it was anything. He scanned the buildings across the road. Nothing moved. He was about to stand up when he saw what looked like three figures appear from the shadows. Daze ducked. He was just going to look again when something hit him on the head, then again. He looked up and saw Clara waving to him from the upper room of a building. She motioned for him to look at the newcomers. He did. There where in fact three people approaching. One was an odd looking boy who looked about his age and the other two looked to be twins about a year younger. They all carried weapons.

Daze stood up. Immediately the twins dove to each side while the other brought up his weapon and fired. Daze dropped quickly, the bullet just whizzing over his head.

"Cease fire!" he shouted

"Put your hands up" the boy yelled.

"Don't shoot! I'm going to stand up slowly" Daze said.

When he stood up he couldn't see the older one or the twins. His eyes swept the street, wait…there by the old dumpster he could see what looked like an old rifle pointing at him.

Behind the rifle was a pair of blue eyes with a lock of blond hair falling to one side. The boy reached up and tucked the hair behind his ear, just like a girl would, wait…it was a girl!

"You almost killed me!" Daze said incredulously.

"Yeah?! Well maybe you shouldn't surprise people with guns!"

"Hmph, where are those other two?" Daze asked.

"My brothers are probably already behind you."

Daze turned around to see the twins come walking up.

"Nice to meet you" one said rather seriously.

"Yeah, I'm glad you didn't kill this one sis, looks like quite a ca…" the other broke off.

"Shut up!"

"Ha, yeah okay, whatever" the second one stammered.

"My name's Daze"

"Nice to meet you Daze. My name is Holly" the girl said.


	2. Chapter 2: New Friends

Chapter 2

New Friends

"My name's Jethro, but you can call me Jet" one of the twins said.

"Wow that's an interesting name, and what about you?" Daze asked the other one.

"Jack"

"Well I'm glad your sister didn't kill me cause its been an honor making your acquaintance."

"Ha! Me too. The whole ince…" Jet didn't finish.

"If you don't shut up!" Holly said angrily.

"Calm down okay? If your done fighting, I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine"

"You mean there's more?" Jet asked.

"Four more to be exact."

Meanwhile the others had come up, or hopped down depending on where they had hidden, and were now introducing themselves to the others.

"So what are you three doing out here so heavily armed?" Daze asked looking at they're weapons.

Each of them had one old rifle that all looked to be of the same model. Apart from that Holly carried a Lancer on her back while Jack and Jet had a Hammerburst and a Gnasher shotgun respectively.

"Our parents were part of a resistance movement out near the Lethia Imulsion facility. We had taken up shelter in the mountains and woods where the Locust didn't usually go. Well me and my brothers went out early to go hunting for some berries and nuts and even a deer if we could find one. When we got back everyone was..." At this Holly choked up and looked away.

Jack continued "It wasn't just our mom and dad, we had lots of friends we were fighting with. All of em were dead, we found the remains of some emergence holes that had come up behind our blockade, we all lived in a cave, but there were also lots of dead Grubs outside the entrance. They must've launched an attack from the outside hoping to distract us. It must have worked."

"That was about two months ago." Holly broke in.

"I'm sorry to hear that" Daze said "I lost both my parents to the Locust as well, we all know how it feels. But why did you come here, I mean this is where most of the humans are left. So naturally there are going to be more Locust here."

"We stayed there about a month after it happened. Then we decided to leave. We just couldn't stay in the place where we buried our friends and family" Jack said "it was just too painful."

"So we took our guns, all the ammo we could find, some food and any extra clothes we had and just left." Holly said. "and here we are. But what about you. What's your story?"

"We're all orphans, like you, who were taken in by a woman who lost all her children as well as her husband on emergence day." Clara said "Her name is Teresa."

"What we're doing out here is another matter." Daze interrupted "these people want to get married, which isn't bad in and of itself, but traipsing around a war zone just to say your married

doesn't make much sense…too me…but they're my friends and I'll do it for them."

"Do you guys wanna stay at the orphanage with us," Susan asked "we have room."

Holly looked at Jack and Jet who both nodded.

"Well I guess its settled," said Daze "We'll bring you back quick so you can get settled, then get on our way. It's not too far back."

They turned back towards the orphanage.

When they were a couple hundred yards off they felt an earthquake and heard an explosion from somewhere up ahead.

"In here quick!" Daze shouted above the roar.

They all hurried into an old strip mall that backed right up to the orphanage. They ran through the hallways till they got to a broken down part that looked out over the house.

Daze froze.

What they saw nearly made him throw up.

A large group of locust had surrounded the house and were now in a firefight with the rest of the teens inside. There was firing from most of the windows and the roof. The locust were paying a heavy price for this as they tried to rush the front door.

The fighting slowed and it looked as though the locust might be giving up, they had retreated to the cover of the surrounding houses while they continued to fire.

"We have to do something," Daze said.

"There is nothing we can do" said Holly

"I'm not just going to let them die!"

"You'll just get yourself killed!" Holly replied "do you think that's gonna help anybody!"

Daze looked back out at the scene before them. He could see the Locust reinforcements start poring in from all sides. The outer walls of the house were filled with holes, some had even fallen down. He looked at one of the corners of the roof. Blood spilled down through bullet holes to the ground below.

"No!" he whispered. He leaned back against a wall. "No." How could this happen. Why would they attack now?

There was another earthquake. They could all see the house rumble and shake. An emergence hole was coming up right under the house. They could hear the screams. Firing had stopped coming from the house. Now it started again from inside the house. The locust on the outside were now advancing.

Suddenly All firing from the house quit.

They heard a scream. Daze jumped up. Mercy…one of the other girls…had gotten out the back door and was trying to get away, she was running straight for them. Just behind her was a wretch.

"I'm going out there" Daze said.

"You can't," Holly said "You'll get us all killed!"

"I'll distract them while you guys run" Daze started to walk forward.

At that moment Holly jumped up and tackled him into the side wall, grabbed his knife and put it to his throat. Jet jumped up as well and leveled his shotgun at the rest of them while Jack merely continued watching.

"Don't move" Jet said.

"You might as well sit down," Jack said "its already got her."

Holly loosened her grip as Daze pushed past her to look through a hole in the wall.

Mercy screamed as the wretch jumped on her back and took a bite out of her shoulder. A Locust with an odd scar over its left eye walked over to her after a few seconds. Daze noticed the scar because it looked exactly like the scar he had seen on one of the locust that attacked the orphanage the last time. It lifted her up by the neck. One arm was missing and so was most of the other. Clara buried her head in Justin's shoulder as Mercy's intestines fell to the ground. The Grenadier put his pistol to her head and was about to fire when an idea seemed to come to him.

"No!" whispered Susan "the monster!"

More wretches had gathered about. The Locust looked into Mercy's eyes, then with what looked like a hideous grin, threw her to the eager wretches.

"Let's go" Daze said turning away as Mercy's screams reached him.

They all started walking back the way they came.

"Oh yeah. I'd like my knife back too."

"I'm sorry about that, really I am, but there was nothing you could do."

"Maybe"

"Well, what are we gonna do now?" asked Jordan

"We stumbled upon what looked to be a hidden COG supply room a couple miles from where we met you." Jack said "That might be a good place to get some weapons."

"Sounds good enough" Daze said "Lets go."

"Here, take this" Holly said as she handed Daze her rifle. "It fires the same rounds as your revolver, and its very accurate at long range."

Jack handed his Hammerburst to Jordan, while Jet gave Justin his Gnasher.

"You be careful with that okay?" Jet said "It's not a good idea just to run in and go to blasting."

Justin promised he'd be careful while Daze gave his revolver to Clara. Holly tossed a pistol to

Susan, who quickly tied up her long brown hair into a pony tail.

"We ready?" Daze asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Then lets move out."


	3. Chapter 3: Refined by Fire

Chapter 3

Refined by Fire

They walked in silence along the alleyways and side streets of the city till they reached the spot where they had met Holly and the twins.

"You know which way to go from here?" Daze asked.

"I'll find it." Jack said. "This way."

They had been walking for about an hour when Clara suddenly ducked into an old church on the right side of the street. Justin turned quickly and followed her. The others took the hint and found hiding spots as quick as possible. Daze and Holly slid into a small hole made by either a closed up emergence hole or an explosion. Right now Daze didn't care much.

He looked to see where the others had holed up. Clara was already in the church bell tower to his right, and Daze could see Justin guarding the back door with his shotgun. The others had all taken shelter in a large shop to Daze's left.

Daze looked up at Clara, who motioned that there were six locust Grubs coming. She put up five fingers, then she drew an imaginary H on her shirt.

"What is it?" asked Holly.

"Six Grubs, Five with Hammerbursts." Clara held up one finger and then drew an S. "Plus one with a sniper rifle."

"We need to take that one out first" Holly said.

"Depends on if they saw us." Daze looked back at Clara. He pointed down the street, then put two fingers to his eyes, then pointed at himself. Clara nodded. She motioned that 2 had gone right, and were moving towards the church, while the other three had gone left. The sniper was advancing up the street. Daze made the S, then dragged his finger across his throat. Clara nodded again. Daze looked left.

Jack had seen and understood it all. Already Jordan and Susan where covering a back door while He and Jet covered the windows.

"Get ready." Daze whispered. "When the sniper is close enough I'm going to jump up out of here and take him out. You give me cover fire to the sides, Clara will take a couple shots at the Sniper."

He relayed this information to Clara through various hand signals, mouthing the words as he did.

"How far?" she motioned.

"Twenty meters."

"Good luck." She mouthed.

Daze looked to the left again. Jack nodded to him and gave him the thumbs up. Daze looked back at Clara. She held up three fingers on her right hand and four on her left, then three, then two, then one…ah, she was counting down how many meters away it was…twenty-six, twenty-five, twenty-four…

There was a blast from the inside of the church. A boarded up window exploded into a million tiny shards as Justin's shotgun blast tore through it on its way into the Locust just on the other side. The locust was thrown back two meters into the wall of the adjacent house as the buckshot ripped a gaping hole in the middle of its chest. Justin fired again into the wall next to it. He waited for movement. None came.

"Now!" Daze shouted as the crash of gunfire sounded from all sides.

Clara fired twice at the sniper before jumping out a broken window and landing on the roof of the church. She slid down the roof to the edge and then jumped, or rather slid off. She hit the ground and rolled, coming up a few feet from the other locust, who had taken cover below a window adjacent to the one Justin had destroyed. The locust looked up in surprise just as one bullet took him in the chest, then another in the head.

"Suck it Btch's!" she said, stepping over the body of the other one as she reloaded.

Meanwhile, Daze had jumped out of the hole and had run up to the reloading sniper, who had fired at Clara. Daze brought up his rifle and fired a shot that hit the locust in the leg. Daze fired once again, this time hitting it in the shoulder. The high powered round ripped through the locust's arm, tearing it off. The long-shot fell to the ground along with the rest of the arm. Daze ran up and hit the locust in the mouth with the but of his gun before slitting its throat with his knife.

He turned to see Holly firing her lancer down an alley next to the shop. He ran past her and doubled back around the other side of the shop. He turned the corner only to see a locust grunt running towards him. The locust fired a quick burst, too quick, the rounds just flying over Daze's head. Daze dropped to the ground and fired once, tearing a hole through the locust's heart.

The other two locust had turned to run when Jordan came out the back door and fired a burst that ripped open the back of the fleeing locust. The other was running up the alley that Holly had been firing down.

"Heads up!" Daze shouted as he ran after the locust. Daze heard what sounded like a small engine revving up. Puzzled, he kept running. Turning the corner, he stopped. Holly had used the chainsaw bayonet on her lancer to chop through one of the locusts legs and was now standing over the body, its head rolled to one side.

"That was for mom and dad." she said quietly. She had gotten blood on her face and hands and was wiping it off with her shirt. "Ugh, I got some in my eye."

"Is anyone hurt?" Daze asked, still in awe.

"I'm fine." Holly said

"We're good too." Jack said, looking at Susan and Jordan.

"What about…"

"Good." Clara said walking up with Justin.

"Alright. Then we better keep going."

"One sec." Susan walked over to the locust Jordan had shot. It was still breathing in short

gasps. Susan fired one shot into its head at point blank. "Check the others," she said "Make sure they're dead."

"Good idea," Daze said "and grab they're guns and ammo while your at it."

Clara and Justin checked the ones that had attacked the church while the others grabbed the guns and ammo of the most recently killed grubs. Daze checked the sniper. It had just bled out. The blood was already pooling around it. Daze picked up the rifle and ammo belt which he threw over his shoulder.

They all met back in the alley.

"Here," Daze said handing the Sniper to Clara. "Your always getting so high anyways."

Jet laughed.

"That's not what I meant."

"Don't worry about it," Clara said smiling. "I know what you mean."

"Anyone notice any shotgun ammo?" Justin asked. "Mine only has twelve shots left."

No one had.

"Well we better keep going." Jet said.

They made they're way through the streets for a half-hour or so, when they came to an old bombed out house.

"In here," Jack said "we were hiding out in the basement from a group of locust when we noticed this."

They had walked down a flight of stairs when they stepped into an open room about sixty feet wide by one hundred feet long. At the other end of the room they could see a partially hidden

Troika machinegun turret and a small door just to the right of it.

"Here it is" Jack said. "load up.

Daze entered the room to find it filled with ammo boxes, guns, grenades and even some extra combat armor. He took one of the heavy vests off the wall and tried it on over his hooded sweatshirt. It wasn't too bad, and it had a place to keep an extra gun. Daze grabbed a Lancer from the wall and checked the chamber. Loaded. He filled his ammo belt with spare magazines and then put it on his back. The magnetic holding mechanisms snapped into place. Daze knew it wasn't going anywhere.

He grabbed some more ammo for his revolver and shoved it in his cargo pockets. He looked around the room. Jack was holding a lancer and looking out the machinegun hole, watching incase any unwelcome guests were to drop by.

Both Jordan and Justin where trying on the armor vests. Clara had taken two bandoleers of sniper ammo and crossed them tightly to her chest. She also took a small automatic machine pistol from a gun case in the corner of the room. Susan kept the Hammerburst she had taken from a fallen locust. In addition to her ammo belt, she put on a small vest, into which she loaded all the ammo she could fit in. Lancer, Hammerburst, Shotgun. Daze nodded with approval. She smiled back at him.

"Just in case." She said.

"It's a good idea." he said. "I'm glad you thought of it."

Jet jumped down the stairs two at a time and came running up to the door.

"We got company." he said. "eight of 'em, coming down the road this way."

"How close?" He asked.

"Too close for us to get out of here."

Daze didn't like the sound of that. He looked around the basement. The walls were bare, with no place to hide. So was the floor.

"Get out of sight." He said. "I'll man the turret."

He hid behind the dark screen that covered the turret while the others got out of sight of the door.

"Did they see you?" asked Jack.

"No." Jet said confidently.

"Then they'll walk on past right?" Holly said hopefully.

"We're not gonna bet on it." Daze whispered. "Shut off the lights."

Except for the small amount of light from the stairs, everything was now pitch darkness.

They could hear the footsteps outside now. They stopped right outside the entrance. There was a brief conversation. Then someone started to descend the stairs. Then more. Daze waited. He wanted them all down there before he started shooting. I was dark in the basement. He couldn't see the faces of the locust, but something tugged at his mind. Something was wrong.

"In here." a voice spoke out of the darkness.

That was it! The small lights of they're power armor were blue.

"Stop." Daze said in as commanding a voice he could muster. "Who goes there."

"Cut the S already" someone growled.

"Shut up Damon." Said the voice in front, over his shoulder. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" the voice asked.

"My name is Daze" he said cautiously. He recognized that voice from somewhere. "My friends and I are trying to get to the fortress."

"Hit the lights." the leader said.

"Why?"

"Don't you remember me Daze?"

"Should I?"

"Daze, It's me, Rojas."


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected Surprises

_Chapter 4_

_Unexpected Surprises_

_Rojas walked into the little room. "It's good to see you Daze. How you been?" His long black hair was pulled up in two long braids that hung down over his shoulders. _

_"Not good," Daze replied, "the orphanage got hit today. Everyone's dead that we know of."_

_"I'm very sorry to hear that."_

_Rojas's ancestors had been the Old people. The ones who had lived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years before modern civilization had come to this particular part of Sera. He took great pride in his history. _

_He looked around the room. "Who are these guys?" He asked, pointing to Holly and the twins._

_"We met them today on the way to the fortress." Daze added. "We were going to bring them back to the house when it was attacked."_

_"What are you going to do now?" Rojas asked._

_"We came here to get some ammo incase we were attacked again." Daze answered cautiously. _

_"We were just getting ready to leave when one of us saw you coming down the road."_

_"Are you ready to go?"_

_Daze looked around. Everyone had been standing still until Clara grabbed a couple more clips and a silencer for her Reaper Type-9 LMP(Light Machine Pistol). Jordan tightened the straps on his armor. Susan racked the slide of her pistol. Everyone else nodded._

_"We're ready." Daze gave the thumbs up._

_"Then you'd better let my men in so they can reload."_

_"No problem." Daze led the others out the door._

_They waited in the outside room as the men loaded up. They could hear an angry voice arguing with Rojas._

_"They're stranded," the voice nearly shouted, "one quick burst and we'll be done with em."_

_"That would bring every locust within earshot right here," Rojas answered coolly, "besides, his father was a close friend of mine until he died."_

_"Well their stranded now so who gives a S," the voice said a little quieter this time, "why on Fing earth are we going to let some mongrel kids take our ammo."_

_"There's enough here." came a deep voice from in the room._

_"Well la dee Fing da!" his voice rose. "When I want an opinion I'll ask."_

_"Careful Damon," the other one said again, "I reckon I don't like you very much on a good day."_

_"Am I supposed to give a d?" Baird asked, "I say we shoot em."_

_There was a small scuffle and then a dull slam as something hit the wall so hard dust fell from the ceiling. Daze saw Clara smile._

_"You say one more thing before we get outside, Baird," came the deep voice again, "and I'll throw you through this wall."_

_"Enough." Rojas ordered sternly._

_They talked in lower tones while they finished up._

_After a little while they all filed out. First came Rojas._

_"Sorry about that." Rojas apologized._

_Next came a blond haired man rubbing his neck. He looked at the ground as he walked to one side of the room. And after him came the biggest man Daze had ever seen. The man stood at least a head higher than any of the others and had to turn sideways just to fit through the door.. Daze wondered if he could rip a locust in half with his bare hands, hll, his arms were bigger than Daze's waist. The mans armor was almost the same as the others except that it was red instead of blue. Daze wondered if it was blood. As he came through the door the big man tipped an imaginary hat as he made a slight bow to Clara, who hadn't been able to stop staring at him since he entered the room. _

_"Little lady." he said in the same deep voice they had heard from the room. _

_"Hello." she said shyly._

_They were all out now. Besides the ones Daze had noticed, there was a big black man and four cogs in standard issue armor and helmet. _

_"I'd like you to meet Alpha squad. This is Damon Baird," Rojas pointed to the blond man who just grunted, "and next to him is Augustus Cole. _

_"Sup baby!"_

_"That's my second in command, Cather." he pointed to the big man. _

_"How do you do." It was more of a statement than a question._

_"To the left are Carlos Verdas, Greg Lantle, and Eric Lewis of Victor squad. Over to the right is Capt Nick Hastings." _

_Rojas explained that there was a plan to end the war with the locust, and that Victor squad had been temporarily merged with Alpha squad for extra support._

_"What are you planning to do?" Rojas asked Daze._

_"I'm not sure," Daze looked at the others, "I think we'll try to make it to the fortress."_

_"Might as well go F yourselves." Baird said sullenly from the corner._

_"Enough!" Rojas shot him a hard look. "He's got a point though. Even if you do make it, there's little chance of welcome."_

_"If that happens than we'll head for a stranded camp or make our own."_

_"Hmm..." Rojas paced the room, "You can follow us for a while, be our scout group. Your gonna be going the same way as us so we might as well stick together while we can."_

_"It's a plan," Daze looked around, "Jack, Holly and Jet with me. We got front."_

_"If we run into anything I want Clara to get up high and snipe." Rojas said. "Alpha has gone too long without a sniper."_

_"No problem," Clara smiled, "I'm looking forward popping these sons of btches."_

_"Don't. It gets old fast. And make sure you don't choke." Rojas said solemnly, "Here, take this radio earpiece and give the other to Daze. I want to be able to contact both of you incase we get separated. Channel 2. If you need me I'm on channel 5."_

_"Got it." Clara put in the earpiece then tossed the other to Daze._

_"Lets go." _

_Daze stepped out into the bright afternoon sun. The heat was really picking up and the humidity hung over him in a dull cloud, sweat had already started to bead up on his forehead. This was gonna be a long day._

_Jet ran up ahead to scout the area._

_"Clear." he said as he moved on up the road._

_Daze relayed it to the people behind him as he, Jack and Holly moved to join Jet._

_"Daze?" Rojas' voice crackled through the earpiece. "I need you to turn left at the next street."_

_"Understood," Daze motioned for the others to follow, "How far?"_

_"Till I say. I'll make sure you don't get to far ahead."_

_"Roger." Daze muted his mic. "You guys move through the alleys and houses. I got the roofs."_

_"What?" Holly looked incredulous, "how do you plan to get up there?"_

_Daze put the Rifle on his back and set the holding strength to full, and handed his lancer to Jet. _

_"Like this." He said as he ran towards a small alley, planted a foot and jumped off the wall of the house to his left, landed on the wall, then pushed off with his right foot and made a jump for a window sill on the first house. He pulled himself up and then jumped for the square roof of the house opposite._

_"Don't look so surprised," Daze laughed at the expressions on their faces, "We've been doing this for years. Now lets get going, we have to scout for Rojas."_


	5. Chapter 5: Painful Memories

_Chapter 5_

_Painful Memories_

_Holly watched Daze run along the rooftops with startling agility. She wondered what other secrets these city-stranded possessed. How could he run and jump without so much as a look to where he would land? Or so it seemed to her._

_"And I thought I was in shape." she said to herself. _

_When she and her brothers had grown old enough to use a gun their parents made them run a few miles everyday. The parents had made all the kids do push ups and sit ups, jumping jacks and "six-inches". Holly had hated it then, hated her parents and the other adults for making them do it. She now saw her own folly. They had done it out of love. So that their kids would be able to endure a long run to escape or to be able to outmaneuver the locust in a fight._

_But this! This was amazing! Running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Landing on the ground and rolling so you wouldn't hurt your knees. Getting up and running almost straight up a wall, at least that's what it looked like._

_"Sis!" Holly broke out of her daydreams. Jet was looking out from an alleyway far ahead. "You're supposed to be coming up the road."_

_"Be right there!" she shouted._

_Up ahead the city was changing. They had been traveling through the suburbs, with its small houses and shops, tight compact road with barely a side walk. Now she could see more five, six, seven story buildings, some warehouses and strip malls. Farther up she saw skyscrapers, large pillared monuments, and even a few trees._

_Just like the woods._

_Just like home._

_She wondered if sheíd ever forget him. He had been her first crush. Even when she had been a little girl she had liked him. Heíd always throw dirt in her hair or find a worm or something, but she had loved him nonetheless. She thought it strange that there was any love or happiness. They had been lucky. Apparently the locust didnít care about some random group of people hiding in the woods. At least not much._

_She thought about the night a year ago when they had snuck off into the woods to make love. They hadnít ended up doing it because they were afraid of the rule that no one was allowed to get pregnant, and that anyone who did was shown no mercy. If they had to break camp and run they would not stop to help the pregnant mother or her young child if she had ended up having the baby. _

_It hurt her to remember Mia. _

_Mia was one of Holly's best friends who had been raped by one of the leaders of their group. Everyone new who it was but only a couple of the families wanted to do anything about it. Holly's parents said he should be thrown out of the group, but to many were already on his side for them to make much of a difference. Then when the locust attacked once and they had to move, she could not keep up. Holly's father gave her a knife to keep with her after that._

_Holly could still hear her screaming when she had nightmares._

_Surprisingly Carson had been the one to say no to sex, even though they both knew it was wrong and could end in her death. He told her that he wouldnít be able to live with himself if any thing happened to her. The had kissed that night. A lot. They sat out under the stars and talked. That night they promised to get married when they were older. _

_Only there was no older._

_When Holly and her brothers had gotten back after the attack no one was left but him. His legs had been blown off and wretches had eaten his entrails, he was losing blood. He said he had waited for her to get back, waited to die so that he could see her one last time. He told her that he wanted to die in her arms, looking up into her eyes. _

_"No!" she had screamed through the tears. "I won't live without you!"_

_"You must," he coughed hoarsely, "do it for me, find someone to marry and be happy with." _

_"I can't!" she cried. "Let me die with you."_

_Holly picked up a knife and pressed it to her breast. "Please!" she pleaded._

_He merely pushed the knife aside and put a finger to her lips._

_"My love for you is unending," he said as he coughed blood, "I won't let you ruin your life."_

_She sat with him for a few more minutes before he asked, "One more kiss."_

_Holly leaned down and kissed him, and not wanting to let go, she held her lips to his. When it came, she felt the last breath go out of him._

_She let his head rest on her lap and cried. _

_Holly had pushed the memory away for so long that she couldn't help the tear that fell down her cheek now. She wiped it off with a blond curl of hair and walked on. "Could this Daze be the one? Could he ever know the pain I feel?" She let the question linger._

_"Nice job Daze!" Rojas said as he watched him get on top of the roof. "Any one else know how to do that?"_

_"We all do," Justin said, "Clara is the best though."_

_"Than get up there," Rojas smiled. He hadn't dared to hope his only sniper would be able to cover them from the roofs._

_Clara tightened the strap of her Longshot. She ran to a shop on the opposite side of the street from Daze and jumped up on a dumpster, climbed up to a window sill, then reached over to a light post and climbed up it._

_Clara scanned the opposite street to the one they were traveling. Nothing._

_"Daze, check the street to your right." She spoke into the mic as she ran. She could see him quite a ways ahead running along the rooftops. _

_"Nothing there." He replied as he jumped across an alley way._

_Daze stopped to look around. He could see Jack come out of an alley about a thirty yards back. There wasnít a single locust anywhere._

_"Rojas?" he spoke into the mic._

_"Here. Do you see any?"_

_"No, and that's what I donít get." Daze saw Clara running along the shops opposite his._

_This had been a kind of market back when people lived here. They would close off the road and set up stalls to sell different things. It made it easy to jump from roof to roof._

_"Be careful then, tell the others to come back here. You and Clara are enough, and I don't want them getting caught in a trap."_

_"Understood." Daze whistled and snapped his fingers to get Jack to look up. When he did, Daze pointed at him, then held up three fingers and pointed back towards where Rojas and the others were jogging up the street. _

_"Holly, Jet," Jack nodded to Daze, "we'll wait here for the others."_

_Daze started to run again, this time parallel to Clara._

_"Afternoon, beautiful." Daze smiled as he looked over at Clara._

_"What did you call me?' she was pretending to be indignant, "I'll tell Justin you were flirting with me!"_

_"Riiiiiiiiiight," he laughed, "cept you like it too much."_

_"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, "You're pretty hard to deal with you know that?"_

_"You donít have to tell me," he looked over at her, "I know I'm pretty."_

_"Don't make me come over there!" _

_"I think you just might have to!" Daze smiled, "Betcha can't beat me to the end of the road."_

_"Bet I can!" _

_Daze ran as fast as he could. Weaving between chimneys and plants, ducking under clotheslines and jumping from house to house._

_When he got to the house at the end of the street he couldnít tell who had won. She looked just as tired and worn out as he felt._

_"Tie?" she gasped between huge breaths of air._

_"Sounds good." Daze took off his shirt and armor and leaned against a chimney after looking around to see that there werenít any locust._

_"Nothing to report," he said as he switched over to channel five and let the breeze cool him._

_"Good," Rojasís voice crackled through the earpiece, "wait for us there."_

_"No problem, Daze out."_

_"Lucky bastard," she said looking over. _

_"Hey, I don't mind if you do it," Daze laughed. _

_"Like H you don't!" she snipped at him, ìI would if I didn't have to take this ammo off. _

_"I'm sure." Daze snickered._

_"Of course I would!" She looked away. "Your like my brother!"_

_She loved Justin, and didn't want to think of what could have...No, it couldnët have been. Justin was her man. She realized she loved him completely. Even though she loved Daze too, it was a more brother sister love than anything else, she told herself. _

_Daze put his shirt and armor vest back on, then hopped down as Rojas and the others came up._

_"Which way?" he asked._

_"Straight ahead," Rojas looked down the road, "when you come to the T take a right."_

_Clara was already climbing the apartments opposite when Daze started up onto the roofs again._

_They had run for a ways when Clara saw Daze come to a large warehouse. He found an old broken window and climbed in. _

_She kept running when she heard Daze over the mic._

_"Get down!" he whispered, "We got a locust patrol in here. Looks like they're waiting for us."_

_"Did they see you?" she whispered, "Are you alright?"_

_"Shhhh!" she could barely hear him, "Tell Rojas." _

_His mic went dead._

_"Rojas, Rojas, are you there?" she hissed into her mic. "We got locust in the warehouse to the right, do you copy?"_

_Clara jumped onto the fire escape and entered what looked like an abandoned seven story office building. _

_"Rojas here." she heard him say as she was setting up her sniper rifle in one of the windows. "Where are you?"_

_"I'm on the fifth story of the building across the street." she pulled ten cartridges from the ammo bandoliers on her back and placed them on a old desk sheíd pulled up next to her. "I'm set up to cover the entrance to the warehouse."_

_"Perfect," Rojas motioned his men to move forward, "We'll be right there."_

_"I want you all to stay here and watch our back,"Rojas turned to the other teens, "don't let any reinforcements behind us."_

_"Yes sir," Jack looked back, "Let's spread out. Take up positions on either side of the street."_

_"Good," Rojas turned back to his men and started to move off. "We'll go help Daze and Clara."_


	6. Chapter 6: Close Call

_Chapter 6_

_Close Call_

_Daze's mind raced franticly as he looked for a way out of the warehouse. _

_No more than fifty feet from Daze were at least twenty locust standing around an emergence hole pulling up weapons and ammunition, while on the catwalks above another two were on sentry duty._

_Daze looked for something he could use as a distraction. Above the hole was some sort of crane or pulley system. If he could get that to kill or at least slow the locust around the hole he might have a chance to escape._

_He looked around for something, anything that looked like a control device of some kind. The windows of the warehouse were painted over and let very little light through, while this worked well to conceal him, it also helped hide any sort of controller that might be found. _

_He scanned the lifting machinery to see if there were any weak spots he might be able to shoot. He found a spot that seemed to hold the entire thing up by a small railing system that would allow it to be moved from place to place easily. Daze wondered if the armor piercing lancer bullets would be able to tear it down._

_Then he remembered._

_Jet had his lancer._

_Daze wanted to curse himself for not having it, but that wouldn't help anything and it was necessary that he leave it behind. Then he remembered something else. _

_Just before they left the ammo room Susan had handed him two grenades. One was a smoke and the other a frag. _

_If he could get a good throw he might be able to get the frag stuck up next to the railing, and that would only work if the frag had enough explosive force to destroy it._

_All he knew for sure was that there would be a lot of luck involved if he got out of here alive._

_Daze wiped the sweat from his face as he got ready to throw the grenades. Should he throw the smoke first so that it had time to get going but give away his position? Or should he throw the frag and then the smoke yet still be a clear target?_

_Daze pulled the pin of the smoke and set it at his feet. As the smoke started to grow he pulled the pin and threw the frag toward the lift. If Daze had stopped to watch he would have noticed how truly lucky he was. As the grenade flew over the rail the ìtailî caught at the last second and the rest of it wrapped around the railing. _

_As soon as he threw Daze began to run towards the front of the warehouse. The two sentries were the first to notice the smoke and ran after Daze as he fled. _

_The explosion ripped through the rail severing hydraulic lines and causing the lift to fall, crushing the unlucky locust beneath it but more importantly it blocked the Emergence hole and caused confusion as the locust not only tried to find the source of the explosion but also as they tried to lift the broken machinery off their fallen comrades._

_The water and smoke slowed the locust even more than the machinery as they slipped and fell and ran into each other in the already dark confines of the warehouse._

_Daze was off to a good start._

_What was taking him so long._

_Clara began to sweat. _

_What if the locust had captured him. What if they were torturing him right now. Should they just leave and try to make it out alive?_

_She couldn't bear the thought._

_Well they'd know soon enough, Rojas and the rest of the Cogs were coming up the street now._

_Suddenly there was an explosion from inside the warehouse. Clara's heart raced as she steadied her rifle and tried to calm her breathing. She heard gun shots and watched as bullets riddled the front windows._

_She sighted down the scope._

_As one of the windows shattered and started to fall Daze burst out and began running toward the building with two locust right behind him._

_Clara swung the rifle to fire a shot at the first locust. There was a loud crack as the recoil from the rifle slammed into her shoulder. She had aimed for the locusts body but her shot went high and slammed into the base of the neck, spraying blood and bits of spine onto the road._

_She fumbled with the next cartridge as she tried to reload the single shot weapon. It was taking to long! She nearly threw aside the rifle as she drew her Reaper. She aimed down the sights to make sure she didnët hit Daze. The locust was firing as it ran after him._

_"Oh no". Clara watched in horror as a bullet hit Daze. Clara saw Dazeís body jerk forward and blood spray from some wound, the severity of which she could not tell from where she was. Daze lay motionless, face down on the ground._

_"No!" she screamed as she fired the Reaper at the locust. A couple shots seemed to hit but the locust didn't even slow. It reached the body and started to raise its boot over Dazeís head._

_Clara grabbed at the Longshot in desperation and jammed a round into the chamber, worked the bolt, took a short breath and fired._

_"Son of a B!" she screamed as the shot flew wide right._

_The sound of the sniper rifle got the locusts attention. Clara dove for cover as the concrete around her exploded into tiny shards as the locust peppered the window she had been hiding in. _

_She reloaded and ran to another window to take aim at the locust. She was just about to fire when she saw Daze suddenly jam his knife into the locusts thigh. He pulled himself up and swung around behind the locust, slicing the tendons in its leg at the knees. The locust fell to its knees as Daze drew his fathers revolver._

_"Yippee kie yay Mother F..." Daze smiled as the blast of the heavy pistol drowned out the remainder of the sentence._

_Daze stood a moment, watching the locusts shattered skull crumble and fall._

_"Daze!" Rojas broke Daze out of his stupor. "The warehouse!" _

_Daze turned to see locust start poring out, he fired his pistol into the first locust, tearing its leg off at the hip. He turned and fired two more shots at a grub coming around the corner of the warehouse, then emptied the rest through the broken window._

_He holstered his pistol and drew his knife as a grub jumped out of the window with a revving lancer. He heard a loud crack when the grubs head exploded and the body fell to the ground._

_"Daze," Clara shouted, "In here!"_

_Daze spun around and ran towards the open "lobby" of the old building. Two grubs and a grenadier jumped out to follow but were immediately cut down by fire from the cogs._

_"Hastings!" Rojas shouted above the gunfire, "Take your squad around back and push them into our fire to finish them off."_

_"Victor, on me!" Capt Hastings and his men moved off to flank the locust._

_"Alpha, take up positions along the street," Rojas ordered, "I don't want any of the bastards getting past us!"_

_Daze ran up the stairs as fast as he could. He ran up next to Clara as he reloaded his revolver._

_"How's your arm?" she asked as she sniped a locust that had made its way onto the rooftops._

_"Fine, no thanks to your shooting." he said sarcastically._

_"Well it was hard to tell from up here," she looked over at him sympathetically as she thumbed another cartridge in the rifle, "I'm getting used to reloading." _

_"Hasn't helped your shooting much," Daze remarked as he pulled his carbine down from his back, "You know I'm kidding right? We're going to need your sniping a lot from now on."_

_"Can you help me out here," she asked as she put a bullet into another rooftop locust, "they keep trying to get on the roofs."_

_"Sure, just a sec though."_

_Daze cut a strip of cloth and tied up his arm. The locusts bullet had glanced off the back of his armor and grazed his left bicep, not very deep but the blood had been flowing pretty freely._

_He racked the slide of his carbine and started shooting any grubs he could find. He loved the feel of the rifle and how much power it had. And the accuracy was amazing. Daze made a mental note to ask Holly what type of gun it was._

_Suddenly there was an earthquake, somewhere back along the way they had come, an emergence hole was appearing._

_"Steady," Jack whispered as the locust started emerging, "Wait for my signal."_

_Susan and Jordan were right next to Jack while Justin, Jet and Holly were on the other side of the street._

_"We need to close up that hole." Susan said quietly as the locust kept coming. "Jordan, can you get a grenade into it from here?"_

_"I can get pretty close."_

_"Well we'll have to try anyway." There were at least eight locust out and more coming, "Take this grenade."_

_"Anyone got a zip-tie?" Jordan asked as he took the grenade from Susan._

_"Funny you should ask," Susan dug in her pocket and pulled one out, "I grabbed a hand full in the armory."_

_Jordan took it and tied the loose end, or "tail", of the grenade to the handle and got ready to throw it Thrashball style._

_"Whatever happens, we have to push through and get to Rojas and the others." Susan whispered to Jack and Jordan._

_"Get ready." Jack mouthed to Jet across the street._

_Ten of the locust were up and were now starting to move up the street behind the cogs._

_"Now."_

_Jordan threw the grenade high into air, arcing it perfectly so that it landed straight in the hole. They all started to run as soon as he threw it._

_They were about ten meters from the hole when the grenade exploded, collapsing the hole in onto its self. _

_"Fire!" Jack shouted as the locust turned to see what had happened._

_The spray of bullets ripped the locust to shreds, none escaping the first barrage. _

_They all kept running till they got to where Rojas and the others were mopping up the rest of the locust that had been in the warehouse._

_"Well that worked great," Hastings said to Rojas, "we didn't even have any wounded."_

_"Same here," Rojas turned to the teens who had just come up, "Status?"_

_"They tried to get in behind you sir," Jack stepped up, "we took them out, but I don't think they will give up. I think weíre going to have a running fight from here on."_

_"That's what I'm counting on." Rojas replied._

_They all looked up as Daze shouted down. "We better get going!" _

_"We got at least sixty locust converging on this spot," Daze said as he and Clara came out from the building, "If we're gonna run, we better start now."_


	7. Chapter 7: Staggered Retreat

Chapter 7

"Susan!" Jordan stopped and shouted back to where she was struggling with her supplies. "We have to hurry!"

"I'm coming as fast as I can!"

"Want me to carry you?"

"I'm fine"

"Hey Justin," Jordan shouted over, "lets go back and help her out, I'm thinking she's pretty tired out."

"Aight dawg" Justin laughed as he turned around.

There was barley a breeze as the cogs and teens made their way along the deserted streets of Jacinto city. Rojas, Daze, Cole, Holly, Jack, Jet, Clara, and all of victor squad were staying close up front while Cather, Justin, Susan, Jordan and Baird took up the rear.

"Emphasis on rear." Damon said to him self.

Baird thought about the things heíd seen in his life as a soldier. Unimaginable atrocities, gruesome fights with the locust, horrible acts committed upon the stranded, humans who were locked in the same struggle as the cogs.

He pondered morality and ethics...had they done something wrong by obeying the orders that seemed too horrible to even dream. Did life even matter? What was evil. Were the locust, who killed men, women and children without thinking really evil...or was the cog High command the ones who were the true monsters? They had Coalition squads wipe out whole villages of stranded for no apparent reason whatsoever.

How long until these mere children would see the same things, hear the same screams that had haunted him in the stillness of night. Hopefully they never would.

As much as he liked being a hard-ass, he was starting to like these stranded kids.

"Well," he thought to himself, "like might be too strong of a word."

"You need me to grab soma that stuff baby cakes?"

"Only thing I need you to do is stop patronizing me, "she tried to look miffed but Jordan knew she liked it, ìI would appreciate it though, it really gets heavy after awhile."

"I'll take that rope and the medic kit, then if I get hit I can fix myself up with one...or just finish the job with the other." Justin smiled as he strapped them on and then started off.

"He better catch up to his own "baby cakes" pretty soon," Susan said to Jordan while she handed him the grenades and some extra ammo clips.

"I love you."

"What?" Susan looked puzzled.

"What do you think I said." Jordan smiled down into her eyes, then kissed her.

Susan stood there somewhat surprised as Jordan turned and walked away.

"Wait," Susan ran after him, "slow down you big nut, what was that for!"

Baird stopped under the shade given by a canopy above some old gas pumps. Those kids were jogging up the road and he could see the others already some way up ahead. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and pulled on his goggles, the sun was blazing bright and the lack of wind made it almost unbearable.

"At least those locust sons of Bches are just as cooked!"

He looked over at Cather who was chuckling to himself as he watched the teens.

"Boom."

Baird heard the deep voice rumble from somewhere behind him.

"Aww S!" he dove from the gas station and rolled as the explosion ripped apart the support beam he had been leaning against. The whole canopy fell and blocked the boomer from sight. Baird got up and started to run.

"Run!" he shouted as bullets started peppering the ground around him. "Just get outta here!"

Jordan reached over, picked up Susan and started running as fast as he could.

Cather and Justin returned fire at the locust until Baird reached them, then they all started running.

"Ohhhh no," Justin said looking back, "that's quite a couple two, three we got chasing us."

"No S kid?"

"We have to find a way to slow them," Catherís voice rumbled from his huge frame, "any ideas?"

"We could drop a building on them," Justin suggested as they ran, "at least if we have enough explosives."

"Good idea," Baird was already looking for a suitable building, "How many Det-packs you got Cather?"

"Enough."

"Alright then. See that building about a two hundred meters off and to the right? That's were we're headed." Baird looked at Justin and then smiled. "You know what, why don't you drop one of those and weíll see some fried locust."

"There's one thing we can always agree on." Cather unclipped a det-pack and peeled off the sticky seal, he then slapped it on an old newspaper stand as they ran by, then grabbed the detonator off his belt.

Although there were scores of locust, they werenít all that fast, so when they had reached the stand Cather, Baird and Justin were already at the building.

"Blow them all to hell!" Baird said as Cather pressed the button.

The explosion ripped apart the locust who were just passing by, sending flames, blood and flying limbs everywhere.

"Eat that Mother Fers!" Baird shouted as he turned in to get started on the explosives. "I'll set them up while you guys cover me."

"Make em think we're holing up for a long fight," Cather said as he began grabbing desks, chairs and tables, and started throwing them out and around all the first floor windows and doors of the building, "it might make em try and flank us or something, give the others time to escape."

Justin reloaded his Hammerburst and moved to the windows and began to rake the advancing locust lines with gunfire.

The locust slowed for a moment but began running again as a higher ranking locust in the back of the lines began to bark orders at them.

"How much longer!" Justin shouted backing away from the window, at the same time grabbing his Gnasher. "Cuz they're getting really close!"

Cather rushed over as he finished blocking all the entrances except the one that Justin had been firing out of, and an escape exit on the other side.

"Cut em down as they get in." Cather pulled up his lancer and fired into the first locust that jumped through the window. The bullets ripped into its neck and shoulders spraying blood out its back and even catching a few unlucky locust behind. The locust soldier fell gasping for air, its head hanging to one side.

Another locust jumped in behind the first and slipped on the blood that was starting to pool at the entrance. As it struggled to rise Cather fired over it into the growing number of grubs outside the window, then he looked down and stared at the wretched creature.

"Unlucky little prk," Cather took a few quick steps forward then brought his boot down on the locusts skull, "How much longer Baird?"

"I just found some main support beams," Baird's voice crackled through Cather's mic, "we should be outta here in two minutes, three tops."

"Well you hurry up!" Cather pointed to the escape exit. "You watch the back, we're going to need a clear way out!"

Justin checked his shotgun, inserted another round and worked the action to make sure it was loaded. It was. He ran to the opposite side of the entrance and looked out the blown out window.

Justin pulled his head back just in time as the Hammerburst rounds shattered the small amount of remaining glass.

"We got some back here!" Justin shouted to Cather.

"Hold em off!"

"I'll try!" Justin backed up behind a small pillar so that he could see the entrance but hopefully not be seen by any entering locust.

Then he waited.

Golg had seen his comrade dropped as he entered the building and decided to look for a different way in. All the entrances had been barricaded with odds and ends of human furniture.

"They have little hope," he thought to himself as he rounded a corner, but then saw a way in, "Ahhh, they are just stalling."

He was just about to enter when one of the humans looked out of the hole. Golg brought his weapon up and fired at the young human who quickly ducked back inside.

He cursed himself for not being ready.

Golg shouted to two more of his fellow locust and told them of his find.

"I'll enter first!" hissed a large grenadier menacingly.

"The honor is yours." Golg replied humbly, as if he didn't care. The truth was that he cared very much, having been only two weeks out of the hallow and wanting to prove his worth.

But he also knew that there was someone on the other side who knew they were there, and that death did not have as great a chance at honor as life.

The grenadier entered and the other followed him.

Nothing happened as the grenadier stepped through the opening.

"Would that I could have had that hon..." Golg didnít finish his thought.

They heard a faint click just as the second locust stepped into the room. The locust was turning to see what it was when the boom of a Gnasher rang out in the relative stillness of the moment.

The first shot ripped apart the locusts waist. As its torso began to fall the boy levered another round into it, knocking it back and sending blood and pieces of skull and gray matter against the wall.

"Cather!" the boy shouted to one of its friends.

The boy fired again, this time at the first locust in the line, the shot caught the grenadier in the left arm, tearing off his hand as well as destroying his shotgun.

Golg heard the sound of a grenade explode as he fired at the boy, who took cover behind a pillar.

The grenadier meanwhile had drawn his knife and attacked the other human.

Golg stared in astonishment at the biggest human he had ever seen. The man stood almost a head taller than the grenadier, who himself was know for his stature.

The locust rushed in with the knife held low.

The man batted the locusts hand away as he backed up. The grenadier rushed in again, this time with the knife raised. The human caught the locusts arm as he brought it down to stab the man, then struck the grenadier across the jaw, sending teeth and bone flying. As he did this he kicked down and into the locusts knee, shattering it and throwing the grenadier off balance. While the locust fell, the man wrenched the knife from its hand and, when the locust had hit the ground, buried it into its chest.

Golg turned to fire at this newly acquired threat when he heard a lancer and felt a searing pain in his own knees.

He fell to the ground, supported only by his arms and what was left of his legs.

As he fell he saw the man, who had just come from some lower basement.

"Thanks Baird." the boy said gratefully.

"No problem kid."

"Lets get out of here!" the big man said, moving to the door, "are the charges set?"

"Yeah their set, now just wait a moment."

The man who had shot him now approached Golg and squatted down next to him.

"How'd you like that son?" the man asked in a calm voice.

"Long live...the...Queen!" Golg could only wheeze through the pain.

"Well now that's to bad, because this is why your dead and Iím alive, why weíll win this war and you wonít, you little Son-of-a-B," at this the man pointed to his head, "this is why!"

"You fight for some "queen" and we fight for life! That is why we will win!" and at this the man leaned down and whispered in Golg's ear. "Lobotomized..."

As it said this, Golg felt the humans hand grasp the back of his neck and lift up in a fast, jerking motion, then bring his head down fast and hard.

Golg watched the ground come rushing up to meet him, and then knew only blackness.

Baird stood up and looked out of the building.

No new locust had come around the to see what had happened.

"Put a grenade out there and lets go!" Justin shouted as he reloaded and continued firing at the locust through the window.

"Grenade out!" Cather shouted as he threw it. "Go, go, go!"

Baird jumped out of the window and ran to the corner of the building. He stopped and looked at the locust that had just been caught in the explosion. As they crowded to get back in, he started firing into the mass.

"Get over here Damon!" Cather shouted, he and Justin already some way up the street.

Baird fired the rest of his clip and then turned to run.

He hadn't run far when he felt a shock wave and a blast of heat from behind him.

He turned to look.

The building that they had just been in was starting to rumble and screech as the metal support beams gave way and fell.

The locust that had chased them were now dumbstruck as the building unexpectedly toppled and fell on their comrades, blocking the road from their reinforcements.

As the three or four surviving locust stood in awe, a shot rang out and the head of one exploded in a shower of crimson.

"Clara!" Justin whispered to himself.

The other locust turned to flee but only one escaped as Clara's bullet flew true.

"Nice work!" she said as she walked up to them. "But what happened to your mics? Rojas has been trying to get a hold of you."

"We switched so that we could communicate with out being interrupted," Cather explained, "we better switch back Baird."

As Cather updated Rojas on what had happened Justin embraced Clara.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you," Justin said as he caressed her face, "it was close there a couple times."

"Like you're the only one whose happy." she said, staring into his eyes.

"Hey love birds," Baird snapped at them, "Rojas and the others are holed up under a bridge waiting for us, so if you don't mind..."

"All right," Justin said as he let go of Clara, "lets go!"


	8. Chapter 8: For the Fallen

Chapter 8

For the Fallen

"So where are we headed anyways?" Holly asked Daze as they enjoyed the shade and the cool breeze under the bridge.

"I'm not sure, but I do know about where we are," Daze looked up, "Hey, Rojas! We headed to the house of sovereigns?"

"Towards it, we'll split up a little before we get there." Rojas tried the mic again. Nothing. "When we do split you guys can make your way to the fortress."

Rojas changed back to Channel two. "Anything yet Clara?"

"Nope…wait…," static washed through the earpiece.

Just then they all heard a large explosion.

"What was that?" Rojas asked through the mic. "What is going on?"

"I don't see them…wait…there they are," Clara's voice crackled through the static.

"They are all right, one sec." They heard a rifle shot and then she turned off her mic.

"What was that about?" Holly asked as Daze stood up to look back the way they had come.

"I'm not sure, but that was one big explosion."

"Yeah but what did they say?"

"Clara said that everyone looked all right," Daze picked up his gear and checked his rifle and lancer, "we're gonna be moving soon so get your stuff ready."

Holly didn't need to be told that last part, she had already checked her ammo and was walking over to where Jack and Jet were relaxing.

Daze looked out the way they were headed, he saw a large cream colored van and the beginning of a building, other than that all he saw were steep banks and no way out.

"Looks like a trap doesn't it," Nick Hastings said as he walked over, "I noticed you fought well back at the warehouse, you really are your fathers son you know that?"

"You knew him?" Daze asked surprised.

"It was hard to not know your old man," Hastings said smiling, "everyone knew him, and liked him, even when they disagreed people just couldn't help it."

"Never did know a better leader than your dad, except for maybe Rojas," Nick looked back, and the funny thing is that he learned almost everything he knew from your pa."

Nick pulled his helmet on and then put his hand on Daze's shoulder, "You watch out now kid, I want to see you guys all off safe and sound, especially you, they need you more the you know."

Daze held his stare and then looked back over his shoulder.

"Looks like the others are here," Hastings said as he let go, "I'm going to go check my men, make sure they're ready."

"How many'd ya get? Cole asked as Baird and the others jogged up.

"Hard to tell, we dropped a building on quite a few of the bastards."

"Used up most of the Det-packs," Cather added.

"Well it won't slow them for long," Rojas said, "lets move out now. Hasting, Lantle, Daze and Clara, I want you four up front.

"Be careful," Holly said quietly it as Daze walked by.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

He thought about that for a moment. "Well I guess we'll see," he thought to himself.

Daze hurried up to the corner and looked out down the street.

"Uh-oh," Daze said to himself.

"What is it?" Hastings asked.

"I see two troika emplacements, one on either side of the street."

"Any locust?"

"None."

"Hmm," Hastings thought about this for a moment, "Move to that van, you might be able to see some from there, I'll cover you."

Hastings looked around the corner as Daze moved slowly to the van, watching the street as he did.

There was a small glint of sunlight from the top of the building.

"Look out!" Nick shouted as he ran and pushed Daze behind the van.

The snipers bullet missed Daze's head and buried itself into the chest of Capt Nick Hastings.

Daze fell headlong behind the van and struggled to drag Nick's body behind cover.

"Sniper!" Hastings shouted as he coughed blood, "He's on the roof, about thirty meters to the…" his shout was cut short by a second bullet, this one penetrating his heart.

"No!" Daze shouted, "Clara, take out that sniper!

Greg Lantle ran out to give Clara cover, but made it less then two meters before he was cut down by troika fire.

"Where in H did they come from," Daze shouted, "Throw a smoke and I'll try and flank them!"

Susan threw it and they waited as the smoke began to grow.

Daze pulled off Nick's helmet and raised it slightly above the top of the van.

There was a loud crack as it broke apart, a gaping hole in the top.

As soon as the sniper shot Daze started running for the far side of the building.

Clara meanwhile, had followed the trail left by the bullet. "Gotcha." she said to herself as she looked down her scope at the locust sniper.

"Bye bye now."

The recoil felt good this time, a pleasant reassurance that yet one more locust was dead.

She swung her rifle to bear on where the troika would be once the smoke cleared.

A figure ran through the smoke right in front of her just as the troika came into view. Clara adjusted the rifle slightly then pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the locust gunner between the eyes opening up a huge hole in the locusts helmet.

"I would have enjoyed a little more red," she thought to herself, "oh well, that makes two more."

Daze turned the corner and jumped over a large concrete barrier. He continued running until he got to a small hallway that ran in a straight line with the two troikas.

He sighted down his lancer at the locust gunner who was manning the other turret.

"Take it out quick Daze!" Clara shouted through the mic. "We've got them coming behind us!"

Daze heard a noise from the roof of the building. He looked up just as a locust grub and a wretch jumped down behind him,

He turned to fire but had his lancer knocked out of his hands as the wretch jumped on top of him.

Daze struggled in desperation as the wretch clawed and wrestled to get at his throat. He rolled over and straddled the wretch, putting both fists together and swinging a sweeping blow from the side that crushed the fragile bone of its face.

As Daze reached for his knife the wretch swung its clawed hand and tore a long stinging gash in Daze's chest. He pulled his knife despite the pain and was about to stab the wretch when a boot to the ribs sent him sprawling.

The locust drone had been watching in obvious delight at this "game" between Daze and the wretch.

The wretch took the opportunity and jumped on top of him once again, pinning Daze's arm with its own. Daze struggled to throw off the wretch but had little success. The wretch waited, watching its squirming prey and knowing that it would soon have a meal.

Daze stopped flailing for a moment then struck the wretch with all his strength, only managing to knock it off balance. But that was all he needed. He grabbed the wretch's head with his right hand and flung it off as he reached with his newly freed left for his revolver.

He drew it and fired at the locust, who was just starting to realize that the "sure thing" he had been waiting for wasn't so sure.

Only, he realized it too late.

The shot entered just under the pelvic bone, shattering the base of its spine and rendering its legs useless. It fell to the ground but it also turned as it fell and trained its hammerburst on Daze before he could dispatch the wretch.

Daze turned quickly and put one more bullet into its chest as it fell. As he was doing this, the wretch had turned and leapt back at him, knocking his pistol away and pinning both his arms.

As it lowered its head to finish Daze off, he heard running feet.

"Hopefully it'll make it fast." Daze thought as he closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate.

He heard something hard connect with something soft and then felt the weight of the wretch lifted off him.

"Kill the gunner!" Holly shouted as she kicked the wretch off, "I'll take care of this one."

The wretch had skidded to a stop a few feet away and was turning to run ,when Holly followed it and fired a short burst from her lancer, splattering its blood and brains all over the concrete.

Daze scrambled for his own lancer and, grabbing it, sprayed the locust gunner with bullets, ripping through its armor and leaving bloody pockmarks on the wall beside it.

"Thank me later," Holly told him as she moved out into the street, "and hurry up and tell Clara and them to get their butts over here!"

"Rojas, the street is clear," Daze spoke through the mic, "I'll cover you with the troika."

"Roger. We're coming around now."

Just then Clara, Justin, and the teens came running around the corner followed a few seconds later by Rojas and the others.

"Keep going till you get to the fountain," Daze shouted to his friends as they ran past, "I'll catch up after the roadway is clear."

As Daze said this he felt the underground rumble of the locust tunneling machines.

"Ah crap," he said to himself as he watched the van vibrate and shake.

"Daze! Run! We have to get out of here," Rojas shouted, "I'll have Cather cover the road."

"I'll be alright Rojas," Daze said as he let loose on the locust who had just turned the corner, "tell us when you find a way out."

Cather immediately manned the turret on the right side of the street.

"C'mon you little S-O-B's," Cather muttered quietly, "You tell me if any get around you."

"The hole came up just next to that van," Daze replied as he continued firing, "I can kill them just when they get out and for a little bit after but if they are fast I'm not so sure."

"Then I'll get that side of the building."

Without a moments notice Cather pulled the troika off its mounting in a loud, grinding screech. Ammo feed trailing, he walked over to Daze and set down the turret.

"I got it kid," Cather said solemnly, "You tell Rojas that I'll meet him in the barracks tomorrow if I make it through."

"Its been an honor sir," Daze backed from the mounted turret.

"I'm gonna come looking for you kids if something happens to the squad," Cather said as he spun the turret up to speed, "They are the only friends I got left."

"We'd all like that."

"Good. Now get going."

Cather fired a short burst at two locust who had made a run for the other building. The high powered rounds cut the locust apart, spraying blood and body parts onto the street.

Daze didn't waste time on stupid questions, but turned and started running towards the fountain.

"Finally," Cather said to himself as watched Daze hop over another barrier and disappear, "Now lets see how many of these Sum-btches I can take with me."

Cather knew that if he let any flank him that the fight would be over sooner than he would like, the turret only covering the road way, so he paid most attention to the emergence hole and the van, where locust might be able to group up and bolt for the building.

There was a clanking and buzzing sound as bullets ricocheted of the front guard of the turret. The locust had peeked around the corner and were now firing at Cather.

He made a movement as if to swing the gun towards them but cut it short and started firing as a group of locust made a break for the building. The first locust took two rounds in the body and exploded in a shower of flesh and bone while the others were equally ground up.

Cather took this chance to fire at the locust at the corner, the bullets leaving molten pockmarks along the pillar.

Then he waited.

Five minutes passed and still the locust hadn't made a move.

"Aw sht," Cather said as he thought, "Damn locust are gonna come up behind me."

So he started firing…and he didn't stop until the troika was out of ammunition.

"Clever ass-wipes," Cather reached down and hefted his makeshift SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) then made his way through the hall and to the right, "this'll give them something to chew on!"

As Cather turned the corner he saw the locust getting ready to make another rush. Six were standing behind the van and at least thirty were waiting around the corner. There were a two boomers and a good number of wretches besides the usual Drones and Grenadiers.

But what got Cather's attention was the gigantic locust in black that was walking back and forth among the soldiers giving orders.

He heard a shout from a locust that had looked around the corner saw that he was not at the gun anymore. The locust started to move around the corner as Cather stepped out into the open began firing.

The locust were taken completely by surprise, the six by the van being cut down first as Cather walked strait at the locust as he fired. Having no extra ammo, the troika would not be able to fire for very long, but it had enough to decimate the tight packed group of drones.

The confusion that had at first been prevalent now gave way to rage as the locust found their attacker and took cover. Though they tried to find cover of sufficient mass, the pulse rounds of the heavy gun ripped through all but the thickest concrete and metal.

Of the forty or so total locust there were now but ten or eleven, seven or eight of them being wretches, whose timid and cowardly nature had made the first thought in their base and primal minds instant self-preservation. Besides those however, the locust general was standing out in the open waiting, it seemed, for Cather.

Cather checked how much ammo was left in the troika. "Only fifteen shots." he thought to himself.

He was about to fire at the general when a large Reaver flew in and dove at Cather.

Cather dropped his turret and dove for cover as a torque round exploded near him.

As the beast flew out and made a turn to attack head on, Cather sprinted to where he had dropped the troika and fired the remaining rounds at the large animal.

The shots went wild with out a stand to steady them, even so Cather got lucky as a round hit the drone pilot and tore off its arm. Another round hit the Theron guard who was riding behind, sending it crashing to the ground.

As he had been doing this, the wretches had began running towards him to attack and only now did he notice this.

"Sht!" He shouted as he threw the heavy turret into the first wretch, crushing its frail body under the immense weight.

He didn't have time to grab a firearm as the small creatures leapt at him. As the first one jumped for his throat he grabbed it by the neck and threw it into the ground as hard as he could, then grabbed two more, and with a mighty roar crashed their heads together, then the last three jumped on him and tried to drag him to the ground.

Cather merely shook them off as they bit and scratched at his heavy plated armor. He grabbed another by the waist and neck and pulled it apart, blood spraying out of its now headless body. As the two small locust turned to flee he hurled the head at one of them with all his strength. The head hit the wretch in the small of the back, breaking it and leaving the wretch helpless.

He started to chase after the fleeing wretch but saw the two drones approaching with their hammerbursts at the ready. He didn't slow but continued his rush. One of the locust raised his weapon and fired, only two shots hitting, and those only glancing off his armor.

As Cather reached them, he clothes lined one and grabbed the other in a bear hug. As it struggled to free its self, Cather squeezed as hard as he could, breaking the locusts ribs and collapsing its diaphragm. He let the locust sink to the ground and grabbed its Hammerburst from the from its limp hands. Cather brought the gun around on the other drone who was just getting to its feet and fired, the bullets flew through the air and ripped into the locusts stomach, chest, neck and shoulders as Cather's aim proved dead on.

Cather felt a pain in his leg and looked down to see that the first drone had buried a knife in his leg. He flipped the Hammerburst upside down, grasping it by the handle and slammed the heavy barrel down on the locusts head.

Cather let out a loud sigh and tossed aside the broken Hammerburst.

He turned now and stared at the locust general, who had taken an intense interest in the fight between the drones and Cather.

"You would have made a general in the locussst army," RAAM hissed as he drew a long, evil looking sword and began advancing toward him, "but now you die!"

Cather pulled the knife out of his leg and drew his own knife as he went to meet the general.

RAAM swung the sword downward but Cather sidestepped it and moved in close. He stabbed at the locust generals midsection but neither knife could penetrate the heavy armor.

Now RAAM advanced and began swinging the sword with broad, heavy cuts. It was all Cather could do to block and parry the blows.

As Cather was backed up by the swift, heavy blows he thought of something. He looked and saw the torque bow lying a few feet from the emergence hole. As RAAM brought the sword across in a horizontal swing, Cather ducked and rolled over to the torque bow and grabbed it.

He didn't back up as RAAM moved in again, but instead attacked with a strong downward thrust of the bow's attached blade. RAAM caught the blow with his sword as the bow's blade slipped into one of the serrated grooves.

Exactly as Cather had planned.

He pulled with all his strength and managed to wrench the sword free from RAAM, grabbing it up in his off hand.

Now he stood and charged up the torque bow.

"Good bye you ugly mother…"

Cather's body jerked backward as his fingers let go of the trigger. He had heard the whine of the bullet too late and only now did the crack of the rifle signal his execution, a long crimson streak stretching out along the pavement.

RAAM hurled himself backward as the torque round exploded right beneath his feet.

He stood and looked around through the smoke for Cather's body. He saw the spray of blood and his sword, but he didn't see the body anywhere.

RAAM walked over to the hole and looked down. He saw a large streak of blood proceding down the wall of the hole a few feet and was satisfied.

A large Theron walked up beside him and asked in a hissing, gravelly voice. "What would you have usss do my lord?"

"Leave their bodiesss but clean the trap…we ssshall have more prey before long."


	9. Chapter 9: Whisper and a Clamor

Chapter 9

Aside from the grunts and heavy breaths of the toiling locust, a quiet metallic spinning noise was all that broke the harsh silence.

Clara gave a final twist to the suppressor of her Reaper, then reached down and pulled Daze's knife from the dead locust at her feet.

She left the body and crept up a steep hallway. At the top she found a small room with sparse furnishings and some small windows in the far wall. She moved to these carefully.

She looked through a boarded window at two grubs setting up a troika.

"Dmn their fast." She thought to her self.

She ducked back against the wall as a locust on patrol walked past the two.

"One is coming your way Daze," She whispered through the mic, "and I've got two setting up a troika in the hallway."

"Take your two out once this one gets around the corner."

"Got it."

Clara waited and watched as the two continued tightening up the bolts that kept the heavy turret anchored to the ground. She flicked the fire select switch to single shot.

"Now." Dazes voice came through the mic.

Clara stuck the barrel between the wood and fired once at the rear locust.

There was a cracking sound and a woosh of air as the locusts body slumped over, a small hole through its brain. Clara quickly adjusted her aim and dropped the other one in a heap on the floor.

"Both down, I'm moving to the door."

Clara nearly threw up as she passed by some old toilets.

"What was that? Are you okay?"

"Everything is fine, I uh, I just smelled something nasty," Clara switched to Rojas's channel, "I'm at a large metal door, what do I do?"

"Is there a way of getting through quietly?"

"I'll try." She moved smoothly to the door and pressed the large button.

The door hissed as it opened, cracking barely enough for Clara to slip through.

Clara stepped into a large room, it had a rather high ceiling with many pillars and a tile floor. To her right she saw an old piano.

She leaned back into a brick wall to her left and looked through a hole in the wall.

More locust were moving around…some were setting up another troika while others patrolled the area around.

Clara waited till no one was looking and then made a quick dash for a hallway opposite. She entered and looked through a small window. She saw a Theron sentinel in some sort of upper room with locust entering and exiting through a small door.

Clara ducked down as two grubs walked past her.

She moved into the connecting room and hid in the extreme darkness it provided. As she waited she felt around. Finding a series of shelving brackets, she used them to climb up above the door. As she waited the locust turned and began moving toward the room.

One locust entered the dark room in front of its partner, suddenly it yelled as a small, burning hot piece of metal burned into its neck. The locust spun around to see what had happened. Nothing. It began moving towards the way it had come but stumbled over something. As it reached down to see what it was, a small figure fell from above and buried a knife in the locusts exposed neck.

Clara clamped her hand over its mouth as she stabbed again and again until the locust stopped struggling.

She wiped the knife on its pant leg and sheathed it.

"Two down," Clara spoke into the mic, "wait till I give you the signal…I want to see how many I can take out before they find me."

"Well, don't take to long, I don't want to come in there and find your body getting gangbanged by locust."

"Don't be so morbid!"

"Justin says that he wouldn't like that either."

"Shut up! I don't know how I live with you guys!"

As Clara had been talking she had also been setting up a small trap that Susan had made for her. It was a regular frag grenade with string attached to the pin and a couple of zip-ties for securing the string and grenade.

She set the tripwire at the bottom of the door, then pulled the locust bodies into the middle of the room where she fastened the grenade to one of the locusts armor with zip-tie.

Just as she finished she heard a shout from the Theron, then heard more shouts from the locust that had just finished with the turret.

Clara ducked out of the room and made a run for the door of the snipers perch.

She came up a set of stairs and saw the Sentinel turn and begin covering the other locust that were patrolling the area.

Clara walked up behind the locust and leveled her reaper at its head. She waited as the grubs entered the dark room.

She planned to shoot the locust as the grenade exploded, just incase the shot somehow managed to alert the locust in the room and give them time to escape.

As the grenade exploded the Theron spun around and struck Clara against the wall, knocking the wind out of her.

"We are not all as dumb as you think!" The Theron hissed as it stepped forward. "You would be pretty for a human would you not?

Clara spit at the locust as the sound of gunfire sounded from outside the room.

"A shame that the flower is crushed underfoot so easily." as it said this the Sentinel bent to pick up Clara's reaper.

As it did so Clara leapt up and knocked the locust over the railing.

It roared in anger as it got up and ran up the stairs to try and finish Clara off.

She drew Daze's knife as the locust came bounding up the stairs. It moved with large strides and as it tried to tackle her she stuck her leg between the locusts and tripped it into the window.

The locusts head jerked down on the outside of the window as it rammed into the wall, Clara took the chance and drove the knife through its neck pinning it to the window sill.

Clara sank to the ground and started to cry as the sounds of war raged all around. She wasn't sure why, but the experience had left her more drained then she could imagine. She cried about Mercy, and about Teresa and all the other kids she had grown up with. She let all the tears out that she had held in, she cried for the men she had seen killed, for their wives and children.

Then she got angry.

She grabbed the sniper from her back and aimed at a locust who had manned the troika. She fired once then turned her rifle as she reloaded, shooting another that was running from a small door, reloaded again and shot the head of another grub hiding behind a pile of sandbags. More locust were firing but the were out of sight.

In her frustration Clara grabbed the knife out of the locusts neck and began stabbing it again and again in the neck and head. She hacked at its neck over and over with all the anger and rage she had in her.

"You okay?" Daze asked softly.

Clara jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned, embarrassed by what she was doing.

"I feel like doing that too sometimes," Daze admitted, "it almost feels wrong to do it, almost as if sinking below them makes me less human, more primal then even these evil creatures."

"What's wrong?" He asked noticing the tears.

Clara ran over to him and buried her head in his shoulder as she cried even more as she told him what had happened.

"Don't you worry about it," Daze comforted her, "its over and I'm here for you, now lets go down stairs."

"All right," Clara sniffed once more and handed Daze his knife, then went back over to the Theron. She noticed a large, ornately handled knife hanging at its side.

She drew it and looked at the blade. The blade was long and curved and was made out of a dark, unreflective metal that had intricate designs inlayed along its length. The inlayed metal was bright but also of a brushed look so as not to be to reflective. It also had many ugly barbs and hooks in it for eviscerating whatever unlucky soul it ended up inside of. She noticed what looked to be a small diamond on the tip and wondered how sharp it was.

Clara stabbed the heavy chest armor of the high ranking sentinel. The knife cut through the armor as if it were nothing more than a leather coat.

She smiled as she cut the sheath from the locust. She slipped the sheath up under the ammo belts on her back and tightened it up.

"Oh Hll yes!"


	10. Chapter 10: The Walls of Jericho

Chapter 10

The Walls of Jericho

Daze walked along the old, dusty hallways and broken down doors that made up the House of Sovereigns.

"Where are we heading Rojas?"

"We're going to the tombs." Rojas didn't look back.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really."

"I know what you mean." Daze tried his best to sound comforting. If only one of the girls were here… "You just can't think about it."

"We all know that already kid," Baird said in a somewhat grievous tone. "We've had to deal with it a lot more than you."

"Well then, how about we stop talking about it," Rojas moved on through the intricate, stone arches and doorways, "by the way Daze, where did you get that rifle?"

"Holly gave it to me when we met. She had a lancer so she wanted me to use this." Daze jerked a thumb towards the rifle. "That reminds me, I wanted to ask her what type of rifle it is. I've never seen it before."

"I can tell you what kind it is," Rojas said, "its an E-29 carbine, though I've never seen one with a wooden stock. I've known a few soldiers who've owned one and I've even shot it a few times. That is one sweet-shooting rifle."

"So I've noticed," Daze pulled out a magazine and reloaded it with his extra revolver bullets, "I'm just not sure where I'm going to find enough ammo for it. I'm carrying all I can right now but I doubt it will last too long."

"Just make sure your shots count and you shouldn't have any problems." Rojas reassured Daze.

"Baird, you and the others move back. I don't want all of us caught if the locust decide to try and trap us," Rojas said as he checked a corner before moving, "Daze and I will scout ahead."

"You got it." Baird slowed and made sure the others knew what was going on.

"How are you doing Daze?" Rojas asked as they moved along together, checking corners and climbing over debris.

"What do you mean?"

"I just want to know how this is effecting you. Many men can't take the loss as well as you have."

"I guess it might be because I've had prior experience," Daze looked around somberly, "I never loved any of them like I loved my dad…but it was still extremely hard to deal with, especially losing Teresa."

"It is hard for me to really empathize with you, I had run away from my tribe when I was young and became a loner. When the locust hit, I was able to survive only because I didn't have any ties to hold me back," Rojas looked regretful as he said this, "I've been blessed though. I met a girl at the fortress a little while after I first started with the COG. She was pretty and young, and so was I for a matter of fact."

"Pretty? You?" Daze quipped.

"I know, hard to believe isn't it," Rojas ran a finger along his scarred face, "But we got married and now I have a son. We celebrated his third birthday just last week."

Daze walked in silence as he thought about what to say. He wanted to reassure him somehow but words didn't do it justice.

"What's her name?"

"Fran."

"Fran?"

"Its short for Sufferance, and don't even ask," Rojas chuckled to himself, "Enough people tease me as it is and I don't need some kid holding it over me."

"Some kid?" Daze acted shocked.

"Yeah, yeah." Rojas checked a hallway and began moving down it.

"Hey Rojas?"

"What's up?"

"How did you know my dad, I mean I know you guys fought together, but how did it all happen?"

"The Cog High Command was just starting to realize that they were going to need more troops. They wanted to mesh old veterans with squads of largely untested recruits."

"Who were in your sqaud?"

"Well, high command chose your dad to lead one of the officers sqaud, that is, the ones who had been chosen for commanding positions based on leadrship skills and also fighting skill. It was me, your dad, Mihn Young Kim, and Nick Hastings."

"Oh," Daze heard a twinge of sadness as Rojas spoke the last words, "What was your squad name?"

"They were named based on the CO's last name, so in our case…"

"Jericho?"

"You got it, and we were lucky too. Our name sounded cool, and we didn't end up like one of the three Smith squads out there."

"So how did you guys do?" Daze asked.

"You know about all those awards your dad won, right?"

Daze nodded.

"Well I'm not going to brag, but if he hadn't had some of the best fighters old Sera herself ever produced than I'll be supprised."

Veritas Jericho looked out over the smoking, charred grounds that used to be Aspho fields. He felt the boom from a nearby Centaur tank's main cannon, and watched as the H-E round tore into a Corpser and detonated in a crimson shower. Veritas was charged with closing any emergence holes that tried to flank the Cog forces. His squad was positioned in the woods to the side of the mortar Derricks. These huge, armored trucks were modified to hold large, mortar cannons instead of the drilling apparatus they usually housed.

"Ahh," He took a deep breath, letting the morning air fill his nostrils and seep into his lungs, "Status report! Rojas, how we doing?"

"The locust are still deadlocked at the trenches," Rojas shouted down from his perch high in the trees," But we're losing men and they cant keep closing holes forever."

Jericho watched as the line of fifty-cals and miniguns mowed down the horde of locust. Right now, the only fight was to close emergence holes before any locust got out. So far the plan was working, untold numbers of locust were piled in heaps before the trenches and more scurried over the body of their fallen comrades.

"Kim? Hastings? Status!" Veritas moved from gun emplacement one, or GE one, to GE two, checking the loads and making sure they were ready incase the locust got through the left flank.

"We got another two holes closed and are stuffing a third as we speak." Kim fired his lancer into the hole and splattered the grubs internal organs onto the wall of the hole.

"Just drop a grenade in the damn thing."

"But that's no fun!" Hastings protested.

"We'll have enough "fun" by the time this days over," Veritas ordered sternly, "now get your ass in gear son."

"Yes sir!"

Hastings ran to the extra case of grenades and grabbed a few from it. He tossed one into the hole and gave a couple to Kim.

"Oops," Hastings gave a funny smile then fired a burst down the hole. He leaped back as the explosion of shrapnel closed it into itself, "forgot to pull the pin."

"Why do you even wear that helmet," Jericho gave a low chuckle, "your heads hard enough as it is!"

"My bad sir!"

Veritas moved to the tree Rojas was sniping form.

"Right flank may be faltering a bit," Rojas sniped at the pilot of a Reaver that was harassing the troops, "I see two Armadillos heading over there and they are sending in Clay squad with a Derrick."

"If anyone can fix that, it'll be Mortis. Crazy son of gun has got more than his share of scars to prove it."

"I've noticed."

"What else is going on?" Veritas looked out over the field and saw a Brumak charge at the trenches. The Cog had set up many defensive stations over the long field, most of these were shallow trenches to defend against bullets.

"I see more and more pouring out of the fissure. They just keep coming!" Rojas fired again, this time hitting the locust pilot and sending him plummeting to the ground.

"It never ends." Veritas muttered bitterly.

"Hopefully it will pick up a little, I would rather kill some locust than have them attack everybody else!"

"We'll get our turn, you can hold me to it." Veritas drew his revolver and gave the chamber a spin. He stopped it suddenly and then holstered it. "So you got a girl I hear! What's she like?"

Rojas looked down in surprise. "Uh…isn't there a better time for this?"

"I don't see any. Besides, what are you doing right now."

"Looking for a locust to kill."

"You can look while we talk. So where did you meet her?" Veritas scanned the grass outside of the woods.

"I met her in the mess hall while I was on break one day. She had come in to get her rations and came right over and sat down next to me."

"I'm guessing she wears the pants then? Is she a gear?"

"No. She told me she wanted a family. Its really confusing how "traditional" she is about it."

"She seems bold."

"She is." Rojas looked out towards where the Brumak had finally been killed. "Sir? Why do you ask about my personal life?"

"I'm curious, that's all. I like to know what's going on." Jericho checked his shotgun then traded it for his Lancer as he watched the locust break through the weakened left flank, "Now sack up boys, they're coming fast!"

Veritas racked the slide of the minigun and unloaded at the wave of grubs, wretches and boomers that were rushing the woods they defended.

"Kim! Hop on GE two and give me a hand here!" Veritas shouted over the continuous roar of the minigun.

Kim hustled up and hopped into the trench. He manned the gun and began sweeping the locust charge with high-caliber rounds.

Although untold numbers were cut down, more kept up the charge.

"Rojas! What in the hell is going on?" Veritas roared.

"The locust are sweeping through the trenches, command has ordered a retreat to the second line."

"What about us?" Veritas shouted up at him.

"We and Clay squad are covering the troops till they fall back far enough."

"When is that going to be…" Veritas was cut short by a shout from Nick Hastings.

"So that is how you want to play, you no good, sons of btches?" Hastings yelled as he threw a grenade into a new emergence hole.

He ran over to another and curb-stomped the head of an emerging locust. "Yeah!! Ha ha ha ha haha! Eat it!" he screamed as he emptied his lancer into the horde.

"Grenade!" Veritas shouted at him.

Nick pulled the pin and dropped it into the hole as the rumblings came from another part of the trees.

"I got it under control!"

"Kim! You relieve him in another five minutes, I'll take the shift after that. All we need to do is keep them from getting behind us and we can blow them away with these guns."

"Got it." Kim watched as the locust paused in their suicidal rush. They regrouped in the newly conquered trenches.

"Settle in men, we got a long fight ahead of us." Veritas Jericho stared grimly a moment as the locust charged.

Then he pulled the trigger.

"We fought for twelve straight hours that day." Rojas stared off into the distance, "I got more than a few scars before it was over."

"Did you win?" Daze asked as they walked into a large, open roofed courtyard.

"We didn't all die so I guess you could say that. Hell, I don't know how many locust we killed, either way it wasn't enough."

Daze watched the others as they walked into the courtyard.

"Some time I'll tell you about the Brumak old Veritas killed with no more than that knife and the revolver."

"I'm looking forward to it." Daze turned and walked back to the others. He stood and talked with them as Baird and Cole brought up the rear.

"Come in command? This is Rojas, we have lost men and are moving to the tombs, requesting evac, over." Rojas paused and waited for a reply.

"I don't like it man," Cole looked around as he stepped into the sunlight, "place smells like sht."

"It's the seeders," Rojas told them, "they're screwing with the radios, I can't get through to Hoffman or Anya."

"Oh well," Cole took the resonator off his back and set it down, "your turn princess."

"Aww Fck it! Your turns are always so short!" Baird took the resonator from Cole and rested it on the ground, "Lets just get moving again!"

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Rojas started walking down a hallway as the others began following."

Baird hefted the resonator on his back and moved into the hallway after them. "Hey Cole, lets go! I need someone to switch out with me next time we stop!"

They heard a dull boom and then a whistling sound.

"Not fcking again!" Baird shouted as he ducked into a doorway. The round impacted on the ceiling and collapsed it into the hallway, blocking it.

"Get go'n man" Cole shouted as he fired up at the locust grubs who were shooting out of the second story windows.

"Aww sht!" Baird shouted, "catch up later okay?"

"Don't worry baby!" Cole laughed as he reloaded his lancer, "Mama said I can't die!"


	11. Chapter 11: A Heavy Cost

Chapter 11

"Run!" Rojas shouted as he weaved in and out between the halls and pillars that made up the House of Sovereigns, "Go! Go! Go!"

Daze drew his revolver and turned as he ran. He aimed at the nearest wretch and fired a shot. A hint of joy caroused through him as the bullet traveled through the wretch's shoulder and ripped into a wretch behind. Blood gushed from where the first wretch's arm had been. The body tripped some of the locust running behind, while others slipped on the blood.

"Yeah!" Daze made a gesture of triumph and continued running.

The others were some way ahead of Daze. He saw Jordan slow down and wait as everyone else continued on down the hallway. Daze pulled up next to him as Jordan jogged.

"How you doing?" Daze asked as they ran.

"I'm good," Jordan smiled, "I'll be a lot better if we get away from these locust ho's."

"Tell me about it," Daze turned down a hallway and followed the others.

"What do you think will happen to Cole?" Jordan asked, looking back.

"I wouldn't worry about him. Odds are he'll end up all right." Daze doubted himself that there was much hope. Cather was gone and so were two more good men. What did Cole have that they didn't?

Besides the boundless energy.

"Well if anyone does it, it'll be him." Daze said.

"Yeah, I think you're right."

"What is this place?" Holly asked Susan as they ran.

"The house of Sovereigns. It used to be the central government of Jacinto," Susan gazed at the marble statues and once, beautiful tapestries that lined the walls, "Funny that I've never been here before, Daze sometimes comes here alone."

"What does he do?"

"We don't know. He would just leave and say he'd be back later," Susan looked back over her shoulder at Clara, "She followed him here one time, she's the only one who can keep up with his free running, but when she finally found him, he was sitting at the base of one of the statues."

"Who was the statue of?"

"It was a Cog for sure, but she said that the head was missing and she didn't recognize who it was."

"Was it his dad?"

"Well, that's what we think, but then again he would go to the Tombs of the Unknown on the anniversary of his fathers death, so it might have been someone else."

"Why didn't she just read the dedication or whatever the statue was called?"

"Well he found her and ran so she had to follow him," Susan slowed for a moment and listened, "He knew his way around and she…Look out!" Susan slammed her shoulder into Holly, who went sprawling, as a wretch landed on the ground right where she was going to be. Susan sent a burst of bullets into the wretch and bent to help Holly up.

They heard the shot of a rifle and Susan almost fell as the body of a wretch landed on her back.

"Happy birthday!" Clara chimed from behind them.

Susan shook off the small locust and helped Holly up. Then they plunged into the thick of the fighting as wretches started pouring into the hallway. She heard the boom of Daze's revolver, the crash of a shotgun, and a revving chainsaw as the wretches closed in.

"Sht!" Rojas shouted as he tried to open a large, metal door.

"What the Fck is the matter?" Baird shouted back from a few feet away.

"It won't open! Dmn thing is busted!" Rojas looked around. "Get across that gap!"

Rojas pointed to a crevasse through a door way and into the hallway beyond. "Go now!"

Baird hacked his way to where Daze was fighting near the doorway they had just entered.

"We're leaving!" He shouted over a burst of lancer fire. "Start backing out!"

Baird fired down the hall at the gathering locust soldiers.

"We got company!" He shouted to the others, "And they ain't the pint-sized kind either!"

"Hurry up!" Rojas shouted as he waited for them. "Lets go!"

Daze turned and saw the locust come out through the doorway. He heard a crack and saw the first locusts body fall headless to the ground.

"You go first Baird!" Daze said as he stopped and hid in a doorway as the locust opened fire.

Baird ran and jumped to the other side with a wretch right behind him. Baird caught on to the ledge and while the others pulled him up, Daze stuck his foot out and tripped the wretch into the hole. It fell down and as it did, Daze shot it in the back. Daze turned and fired at the locust who were crowding up the hall.

"Daze, go!" Rojas said as he reloaded.

"You first! I can move faster than you and we need to get going!"

Rojas hesitated, and then jumped. He landed on the other side and started off. "Move! Daze, lets go!"

"Come on Daze!" Holly was lying prone, firing at the locust. "The others are leaving!"

Daze fired one more shot at the locust and then turned and jumped across the hole, almost landing on Holly. He grabbed her by the back of her pants and lifted her up and shoved her toward the way the others had gone. He spun around and put a bullet into the pursuing locust and turned to run.

"What was that for?" Holly was incredulous when he caught up with her, "You reached down my pants!"

"I did not, I only grabbed your belt."

"I'm not wearing a belt…"

"Oh, well that's my bad," Daze tried to pretend to be embarrassed, "But we did need to go quickly."

"Not _that _quickly."

"Well its done now. Help me with this door." Daze stopped quickly and was trying to heave a large, metal door into place. Holly came back and helped him shove it into the doorway.

"Daze…are you there?" Daze's earpiece crackled with static. "Hurry up. We are in a small room at the end of a couple hallways."

"How do we get there?"

"Take the last door on your left and then go to the end of that hallway. There should be a railing that looks down on a bunch of wooden benches. Climb down, and we're in the next room straight ahead."

"Be right there." Daze turned to Holly, "Lets go."

"Sounds good." Holly smiled and gave an on flip of her hair.

_Uh oh._ Daze thought to himself. _Where did that come from?_

As they entered an open air walkway they smelled a strong, decaying stench that made their skin crawl. Daze reloaded his revolver and held it ready.

"Watch out." Daze cautioned.

"Daze?" Holly asked looking over the edge, "What is that?"

"It's a Seeder." Daze pulled her back from the window, "Be careful for Nemacyst."

"For what?" Holly looked back out the window.

"Get away from there!" Daze looked back and saw a large, bloated sack of metal and skin float through a window a few feet from where Holly was standing. He stood, frozen with terror.

"Pst…Holly," He whispered, "Duck."

"Why?" Holly asked and then followed his gaze.

Daze watched in horror as the tentacles twisted quickly and the Nemacyst leveled out towards Holly.

"Duck!" Daze roared as he brought up his revolver and fired.

The bullet burst the Nemacyst in mid air, sending a blackish green liquid everywhere. Holly fell forward on to her right side and screamed in pain as the inky green liquid burned into the skin of her arm and shoulder. Daze ran over to her and started to help wipe it off with his sleeve. He noticed the pool of blood and acid that was forming on the ground below her.

"Are you hurt?" Daze bent down over her, "I see blood, where is it coming from?"

"I…I think it…its…what was that thing?" Holly looked around deliriously.

"I think some of the acid got in the wound," Daze searched her side and soon found a large piece of metal sticking out from the inside of her left arm. He pulled the piece out and watched as the blood started to gush from the wound.

"Wha…whats happen…happening to…me?" Holly's eyes began to roll back in her head.

"I'm not sure, I think it has something to do with the acid, it may be poisonous." Daze wiped the blood away from the wound as it continued to flow, "I think that should get ride of as much poison as we can expect."

Daze cut a clean strip of cloth and used it to tie up the wound.

"Clara. Clara are you there?" Daze radioed ahead, "Tell Jordan and Justin to come back to the railing, I'll be needing them in a second. Out"

"I've heard some hypotheses that the acid also works as a neurotoxin," Daze said as he tied up her arm, "Though nobody has been dumb enough to try it."

"Hah…thanks…" Holly managed a feeble laugh, "…so…will I get better?"

"Well, it looks like it may only be temporary, heck, the best you could do was mumble just a minute ago."

"Sorry…"

"None of that, I should have checked to see if there were any out there," Daze grabbed Holly's lancer from where it had fallen and set it in her lap, "now hold on, I'm gonna lift you up."

Daze slipped his right arm under her legs and wrapped his left under her shoulder and around. She put her right arm around his neck to hold on and held the lancer loosely with her other arm.

Daze walked to the railing and looked down at Jordan who was standing just below it. Justin had already climbed back up and was just swinging a leg over when he saw Daze.

"What happened?"

"A Nemacyst attacked us, I killed it but a bit of shrapnel got lodged in her arm and it might be infected." Daze held her out to him, "Here, lower her down to Jordan, I'll hold onto your belt."

Justin took her and, as Daze steadied him, lowered her down into Jordan's waiting arms.

"Hurry up Daze!" Rojas said through his mic.

"We're here," Daze holstered his revolver and climbed down after Justin, "Just a sec."

"Wait…" Justin whispered, "I hear something."

Daze stopped.

He heard the heavy tramp of running feet.

"Go! Jordan get her in there quick!" Daze and Justin stopped and looked back. They could hear the sounds getting louder.

"Quite wasting time!" Baird shouted, "We need to get out of here!"

Daze and Justin hurried into the room. Behind them Baird and Rojas closed the door and locked it.

The building started to shake.

"Emergence holes?" Clara asked.

"Nope," Rojas looked thoughtful, "Just a bunch of pissed off locust."

"What are we going to do?" Jack asked.

"This is where we part ways," Rojas said, "You guys are going to go into that room, through the next door, and then head to the left. You should be able to get down stairs find the fortress from there."

"What are you going to do?" Daze asked.

"I'm going to sell out so you guys have a chance." Rojas starred grimly at the door. "Baird? Do you know how to get to the tombs from here?"

"Yes sir." Baird was less argumentative than he was usually inclined to be. "And I got the resonator right here."

"Good. Hand me your shotgun." Rojas took the shotgun from Baird and made sure it was loaded. Then he took all the extra ammo he had and gave it to his men. "Hole up in the tombs and wait for Delta…they should be coming along soon. I'll wait for them."

"Yeah," Baird looked down, "Why don't you let me…"

"No!" Rojas softened a little. He put his hand on Baird's shoulder, "I wont let another one of my men die if I can help it. Besides, its been a while since I've seen Kim."

Baird was silent.

"Go, Now." Rojas flipped the shotguns around in his hands and then rested them on his shoulders. He leaned against a pillar and waited as the locust pounded on the door.

Baird led the way out of the room with the others following after him.

Daze lingered a moment. "Rojas, why? You have a son and a wife! You've the most to lose out of everybody!"

"I can't let another of my men die. I'm their leader. First in the charge, last in the retreat. I have to pay for the abandonment of my people, I must regain my honor."

"Screw honor! Your son needs a dad!"

Rojas stepped over and rested his hand on Daze's shoulder. "This is my path, and that of my fathers, let me tread it as they did. The brave warrior has nothing to fear from death, I only wish that I had been one years ago."

"Then, good bye Rojas."

"See you around."

Daze walked out of the room and looked back. Rojas gave a final wave and then stepped back to the pillar to wait.


	12. Chapter 12: Styx and Stones

Chapter 12: Styx and Stones

Rojas listened to the growing clamor as the locust charged through the halls of the House of Sovereigns. He checked the ammo of his lancer one more time and then made sure that both of the shotguns were in working order.

A burst of bullets ricocheted off the heavy metal door. Rojas moved next to it and waited. There was a slam and then Rojas kicked the door free and unloaded both shotguns into the horde in front of him. He spun the shotguns around in his hands and then fired again into the confused locust. He reloaded again and shot a locust that had regained its senses and was raising its hammerburst to fire. The shot cut the locust in half and Rojas fired at another locust with the other shotgun, then he was shooting and reloading as fast as he could as the locust rushed the doorway.

One locust jumped into the doorway and without thinking, Rojas slammed it in the face with the shotgun. He brought both shotguns from the side and hit the locust as hard as he could. The locust crumpled to the ground as Rojas struck another that was crowding in behind the first one. Rojas knocked the hammerburst out of its hands and put a shot right into its waist. He swung the other shotgun up and emptied the chamber into the face of a grenadier that was pressing through the crowd.

He stepped out of the doorway and reloaded once more just as a burst of gunfire shattered the rock around him.

A drone jumped into the room and Rojas thrust the barrel of a shotgun into its stomach and pulled the trigger.

Click!

Rojas swung the other shotgun around and slammed it into the side of the drones head, shattering its skull and sending its brains splattering onto the wall.

A grenadier leapt in as the body fell to the floor and raised its Gnasher. Rojas hit it to the side with one of his own shotguns as it discharged, then raised his other and shot the Grenadier in the chest, tearing it apart. He spun the gun around in his hand and then pointed it and fired at the nearest locust. The gun boomed and then he threw it into the face of another. He drew the lancer from his back and emptied the clip into the crowding horde of locust.

He heard a roar of anger and saw a huge locust come wading up through the wash of enemies.

"Oh sh…" Rojas grabbed his snub pistol and shot at the locust general.

The locust covered its face with a giant, gauntleted hand as it used the other to knock the drones out of its way.

Rojas stepped back behind the pillar and wait with revving chainsaw.

The scene quieted. Rojas could hear his own heavy breathing, he could hear the gasping and wheezing of a locust he had injured, he could hear the lancer revving.

The he heard a heavy footstep. Then another, and another. The footsteps stopped and then Rojas heard one of the locust, presumably the same one he had injured, get to its feet and walk into the room.

A burst of gunfire splintered the rock and chipped at the pillar he was taking cover behind. Rojas waited, chainsaw still revving. He heard a cautious foot step and then he lept from the his hiding place. He threw his lancer at the locust who tried ducking out of the way. Rojas ran towards him and grabbed the hammerburst from its hands and pointed it at the locusts chest.

"See you in Hell!"

Rojas pulled the trigger and watched as the bullets sprayed out the locusts back along with blood and bits of bone.

Rojas kicked the locust out of the way and ran to his lancer while he covered the doorway with hammerburst fire. He grabbed it and retreated to the pillar again, keeping the locust assault rifle trained on the doorway.

He heard the heavy footstep again and saw black clad figure envelop the doorway. He fired at the locusts midsection but watched in disappointment as the bullets ricocheted off of the heavy armor.

Rojas dropped the hammerburst and stepped out to meet the locust general, chainsaw revving yet again.

He rushed it and swung the lancer at the locusts head. The general blocked it with his gauntlet and then punched Rojas in the face.

Rojas staggered back into the wall. He wiped the blood from his mouth and ran at the general again.

This time the general didn't even flinch as the chainsaw's blades were ground down by the impenetrable armor. Rojas looked up and spit into the locusts face. The general punched Rojas in the stomach and then grabbed him by the neck. It lifted him up and then grabbed his legs and swung him down into the ground.

Rojas saw stars and felt as the blood began to pour from the back of his head. He looked up into the ceiling and thought of his son, his wife, of Veritas and Hastings. He thought about Cather and all the other men who he had seen die. He remembered his family, his old tribe and how he had deserted them when they needed him most.

"Did I do it?" Rojas coughed and choked at the blood that filled his lungs, "Did I reclaim our honor?"

Rojas felt as the locust general rested its foot on the side of his head. The general looked down at his uncovered eye and gloated. Rojas looked past the locust towards the ceiling, but he no longer saw a ceiling.

He saw a river. And beyond that river was a garden, or at least, it looked like a garden. Down the river bank was a boat, an old ferry with a gnarled old boatman waiting for him. Everything was blurry, as if he couldn't focus. He walked towards the boat and got on. The ferryman pushed off and began crossing the river.

The barking and snarling of wretches brought him back as dull pain racked his side. He looked up at the triumphant locust standing over him, and then closed his eyes. He felt pressure on his head and then a voice rang out in the stillness…

"So?" The voice was strangely familiar, "Are you going to get off yet?"

Rojas looked up into the warm, gentle eyes that greeted him and grabbed a hold of the hand that was offered.

"I guess I will." Rojas smiled at his old friend. "By the way, I met this kid who's a real chip off the old block, fights just like his old man!"

Veritas smiled. "That's my boy."

Daze couldn't hear the firing anymore. He wasn't too surprised since there were multiple stories between him and the place where he had said goodbye to Rojas.

He heard Baird screaming at the radio back where they had split up.

"You heard me! I said FUBAR!" Baird shouted into his mic, "Yeah! That's right, Fcked up beyond all recognition! And another thing, you Sht heads better be sending the mother fcking cavalry down here cause we got locust popping out of our ass's…"

Baird and the tattered remnants of Alpha squad were crouched in a darkened doorway across the street from the Tombs of the Unknown.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, you're breaking up," Baird flicked off his earpiece, "Lets make a run for it boys."

Private Gyules made a break for the tombs and was followed by Baird and Lewis at a dead run.

Daze heard the distinct clatter of Hammerbursts as bullets kicked up dust and bits of concrete around the Cogs. Daze didn't wait to watch the outcome but instead led the others through the open lobby of an old hotel as they made their way towards the fortress.

After they had run for a few minutes, Daze held up his hand and slowed to a jog, and then to a walk. They came to an old broken down door of one of the hotel rooms and stopped to catch their breaths.

Everyone sat in silence as they sucked in huge gulps of air.

"What do you think will happen to them Daze?" Susan asked as she stretched out on her back and tried to calm her breathing.

"I'm not sure, but I'm starting to fear the worst," Daze stared at the ground sorrowfully.

Clara poked her head out around a corner and looked down the hallway.

"See anything?" Jack asked as he fingered the grip of his lancer.

"Nothing." Clara walked back and sat down next to Justin on the edge of an old rotting bed.

Jet leaned his rifle against the wall then pulled a black beanie from his pocket and stretched it down over his eyes, he folded his hands and rested them on his chest.

"We can't stay too long guys," Daze walked back to a window and looked out at the sun, "No more than thirty minutes."

The others settled in and soon were all resting peacefully. Daze walked sleepily over to the door and took a look out. Nothing, just as he expected.

He sat down and laid back against the wall. Daze set his lancer to the side and rested the carbine on his knees. He pulled out his revolver and spun the cylinder, watching the bullets fall out onto his lap. He stood the shells upright on the floor and rested the rifle against the wall as he got up and walked to the faucet that was inside the bathroom across from him.

Daze twirled and spun the revolver around his finger. He turned the handle and waited as the brownish red water sputtered and began to flow down the rusty drain. Daze leaned down when the water had cleared and took a drink. It was warm and it tasted like metal but Daze didn't care, he had been drinking this and worse ever since he had left the fortress.

Daze sat back down and practiced loading and unloading his revolver. He slipped the shells in and out as quickly as he could, spinning the chamber and twirling the pistol in his hand.

"Man, I wish I had my bike out here," Daze thought to himself. He had found an old motorcycle one day while he was out running around the city. He pushed it back to the orphanage and had set to work fixing it up. He was almost done and only needed to install the clutch cable that he had scavenged from an old auto parts store a couple of days ago. He had even filled it up with some immulsion and started it up to make sure it was working.

"Ah well, I'll probably never see it again. Freaking locust probably wrecked it anyways." Daze looked at his friends. Susan had sat down in Jordan's lap and was resting her head against his shoulder. Clara had lain down on the bed with Justin beside her and was sleeping peacefully.

Daze looked at Jack and Jet. They were both sprawled out on the floor, laying on their backs with their guns resting on their chests. Daze looked at Holly who was sleeping on a chair in the corner of the room. Daze examined the patch job he had done on her arm and was pretty satisfied. But something caught his eye as he was looking. He noticed that the skin on her left arm looked extremely dry. He saw it was cracked and pale where the acid had burned her and he also saw that it had burned through the side of her shirt and revealed a part of her breast.

Daze blushed and looked away. He closed his eyes and tried to turn his mind from the unwanted thoughts…

Daze awoke to the sound of a helicopter in the distance. He started from his place on the wall and scrambled to grab his weapons. He looked out the door for the helicopter as it passed by through the street. Daze looked at the others. Clara was walking towards him quietly and Holly had risen from her seat and was stretching. The others were all sleeping.

"Should we go see what's up?" Clara whispered to Daze as Holly walked over to them.

"I don't know," Daze looked back at the ones who were still sleeping and saw a shadow pass across the doorway.

Holly drew in her breath sharply and Clara pressed them both into the bathroom as more and more locust passed by the door.

Daze froze as he now heard the sound of running feet that had been obscured by the noise of the helicopter. He drew his knife slowly.

Clara watched as locust after locust sprinted past the door. She slipped her knife from its sheath and handed it to Holly as she held her SMG ready.

The noise was now subsiding but Daze still heard a couple more coming down the hall. He pressed himself up against the wall and stood still. As two locust passed, there was a snort from Justin who was lying on the bed. The second locust turned its head and let out a short growl as it passed by.

The sound of running stopped.

Daze moved up next to the door and waited with Clara and Holly across from him.

He heard a cautious footstep. Then another. He heard it cock its gun and saw the barrel stick around the corner.

Suddenly Holly leapt out and slammed the locust into the back wall, slitting its throat with a fast, deep cut of Clara's knife.

Daze jumped around the corner and saw a locust right in front of him. He put his shoulder into it and knocked it to the ground. As it reached for its pistol he stabbed it in the neck and throat again and again till it stopped struggling. He looked back and saw one more grub slump to the floor, bloody pockmarks riddling the wall behind it. He grabbed his locust and dragged it into the room. Holly followed suit and dragged hers in also.

Clara looked through the holes in the wall at the dead locust and laughed quietly.

"That worked better than I expected." She said as she exchanged her spent clip for a new one.

Daze grabbed her locust and pulled him into the room and laid him by the others. He looked back to where everyone else was sleeping. Daze made a low whistle and Susan opened her eyes. She saw the dead locust and then looked out the window. She jolted upright at how late it was getting and moved quickly to wake the others.

Suddenly there was a jarring explosion from down the road. The ground rumbled as the sounds grew louder. Daze heard the screeching and grinding of metal on concrete and surmised what had happened.

"Damn those seeders!" He growled under his breath.

Jack and Jet were up in a moment and scouting the hall outside the door. Jordan got up and readied his Hammerburst. Justin sat up groggily and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. He grabbed his shotgun and stood up.

"It looks clear!" Jack said from the doorway.

"Then we should get moving," Daze moved to the door and started running. Clara followed and covered the way they had come with her sniper rifle.

Daze ran until he found himself in another large, open lobby. He looked around and saw an old broken escalator.

"Quick, up the stairs." Daze said as he mounted the escalator two steps at a time.

"What's up here?" Jet asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think I saw something." Daze called back over his shoulder.

As they made it to the top Daze saw what he was hoping for. A skyway crossed the street and joined the adjacent building. Daze ran to the barricade of furniture and garbage and hopped over it quickly. He helped Holly over and then the others were climbing up, with Clara bringing up the rear.

"Good, this will keep us out of the street," Susan looked around satisfied, "But do you know where we are Daze?"

"Well kind of," Daze made his way to the end of the skyway and started up the other barrier, "I've seen this from the road though I've never been in it."

Daze jumped down from the barrier and started walking. He stopped when he realized something was wrong. Daze pulled his carbine to his shoulder and moved to the side.

"Wait!" Daze whispered back to the others.

They stopped, all with their weapons held ready. Daze stepped into a doorway next to the skyway entrance and waited, searching for something, straining to understand the thing that was pulling at his mind. He realized that the only light in the building was streaming in all the way from the ceiling forty stories above.

Then he heard it.

A continuous drum of wings, beating back and forth against the still air just outside the light.

"Daze?" Holly's quiet voice was edged with panic. "I think we should go!"

"Wait, just wait a moment." Daze started to move forward but stopped suddenly as the cold barrel of a pistol pressed against his neck.

"Checkmate stupid!"


	13. Chapter 13: Beauty From Pain

Chapter 13

"Drop the gun fascist pig!" The voice was strangely high pitched.

"What?" Daze was confused. He started to turn his head.

"I said drop it!" The barrel pushed into his neck with uncomfortable, though not painful, force.

"Look, I'm not a Cog, I'm Stranded!" Daze realized that the lights on his power armor might be confusing.

"Really? Well then step into the light." The pistol poked into his neck a few times.

Daze started thinking. If this stranded's trigger finger got a little itchy it might prove fatal. But if he made a move it might set off an already itchy finger.

The pistol barrel left his neck for a moment and in that moment Daze made a decision. He reached back and grabbed at the barrel with his right hand while he struck at his assailants head with the left.

His right hand closed on the barrel of the pistol. He yanked it free and tried to spin in around behind the stranded and get it in a headlock.

Daze's arms closed in on nothing but air as his attacker slipped away.

"Not a Cog my eye!" The voice spoke from the darkness. Daze noticed that it sounded young, and female.

"Hey, I didn't want to end up without a neck!" Daze started moving into the light.

"Prove to me you're not a Cog!"

"I'm not shooting am I?" Daze scanned the shadows for is assailant. "How many Gears do you know that wouldn't have opened up as soon as they had your gun?"

"Hmph," Daze's attacker grunted.

"I'm moving into the light now," Daze said as he backed up into the center of the light. "See? I'm just as ratty and unkempt as you are, all I got is some armor."

"How do you know how ratty I am?" A young girl stepped into the light.

She looked to Daze to be about ten years old. Her face was caked with dirt and her formally blonde hair was tangled and matted with mud. Her clothes were truly nothing more than rags with a pair of shorts and a loose shirt being all that actually looked even remotely like clothes. She had a belt that held a few cartridges and a small backpack as well as a lantern.

"Wait, so you're the one who was holding me hostage?"

"Well you did look like Cog."

"Do you even know how to fire this thing?" Daze handed her back the boltok.

"You want to find out?"

"I'm fine." Daze lowered his hands. "So what are you doing in here?"

"This is our base, I have to keep this door covered incase any locust come by." She looked up towards the ceiling, forty stories away. "You're pretty lucky you made it here when you did, the sun is heading for the horizon pretty fast and I was about to close the door."

"How do you keep the locust from finding you? And what about Kryll?" Daze asked as he looked around the interior of the building.

"Well we painted all the windows but that let the Kryll in part of the way except at noon." She looked at where the suns light was falling high up on the inside of the building. "Then we go around with lanterns until night time when we fire up the lights."

"You turn on the lights?" Daze was stunned. "Don't the locust know you're here?"

"Nope, there's nothing for the light to reflect off above the building and we have made sure that its completely dark from the outside." She glanced at him with a look of satisfaction. "No one knows."

"Well is it alright if my friends and I bunk with you for the night?" Daze looked across the large interior courtyard at the lights on the other side.

"Probably, are there any girls with you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well that might make it a little harder," She looked at him with an expression that bordered on joyful, though facial features were hard to read with so much "interference." "Just make sure they keep their weapons close by."

"Why? Is your group like all guys or something?" Daze chuckled at the possibility.

"With one exception." Dio looked over to where Daze's friends were waiting, "They're all good guys, but the lack of women can be, well interesting."

"Oh…" Daze was silent.

"I'll tell you about it while we walk, now let me meet your friends." She jogged to the barricade and scampered over.

Daze heard her introduce herself to the others as Diomache but she said that she liked to be called Dio. Daze and the others introduced themselves.

"Dio huh?" Jordan smiled slightly, "Like, Die-Ohhhhhhhhhh! Served btches! Ow!"

Susan smacked Jordan on the back of the head. "Cut it out!"

"Sure, like whatever you want, but you might not want to swear when you're around my dad." Dio walked off with lantern in hand. She got out a flint and struck it against the barrel of her boltok. The sparks landed on the wick and a small flame appeared. She set it down and walked back to the barricade where the others were just hopping down.

"Look out everyone, this gets a little loud." She pulled on a rope above the entrance that started a grinding, screeching sound that lasted a few seconds before a thump and a complete lack of light from the skyway showed where the door had fallen shut.

"Get in close, the Kryll wont wait for long." Dio picked up the lantern and made her way along the outside walkway that surrounded a food court in the middle of the building.

"So what are you guys doing out here?" Daze asked

"We used to be apart of Franklins outfit, but then the locust attacked and we lost some people." As Dio looked away Daze noticed a tear glistening in her eye. "My dad and a few others wanted to start attacking the locust instead of taking it in the ass whenever the locust decided to give it."

"They had a falling out?"

"Yeah, so my dad and the other men who had lost the most, wives, children, everything, they took a vow to kill every last locust or die trying."

"So is that what they do during the day?" Daze asked.

"Yeah, but they also go scavenging when we need food or supplies." She pointed over to where a group men had merged into the lights, "That's them now, lets go."

Dio started off at a jog towards the lights.

As soon as they got into the light, Dio set down the lantern and ran to her father, who swept her up in his arms and gave her a hug.

"Ahhhhh, my little girl!" Dio hugged him until he set her down and then whispered in his ear.

"So, which one of you is Daze?" There was a calm fire in the man's eyes.

"I am." Daze said as he stepped forward.

"So you're the one who attacked my daughter?"

"I didn't attack her, I only disarmed her and stepped into the light," Daze stood firm even though Dio's father was at least six inches taller.

"Okay, so why do you want to stay the night?"

Daze briefly related their story and what they were doing out and about in the city. "Its getting dark and we don't have anywhere else to go."

"And why should I let you?"

"We have guns, we could help you defend against a locust attack."

"Ha! They haven't attack us yet, so I don't know how much use you'd be!"

"That's what we thought this morning."

"Well I'm sorry about that, but I'm inclined to let you stay for now as long as you abide by our rules. My name is Kurt." Dio's father stretched out his hand.

Daze shook his hand and walked with him to a large fire.

"First rule, keep swearing to a minimum, I know its easy to do but I want concentration to be on fighting not your vocabulary." Kurt looked at the girls, "Second rule, no screwing. Girls will sleep in the safe room and guys will sleep by the fire, I don't want anyone caught with their pants down."

Soft laughter rose from the group of men gathered around.

"And third rule, well, its more of a procedure than a rule. It doesn't happen much, but if the lights happen to go out in the middle of the night you are to get to the safe room as fast as possible. The Kryll can't get in it even with the lights out so you should be safe, but if you can't get to the room you should find the nearest patrol, get to the fire and restart it then wait till morning."

"Sounds good." Daze said as he stood up, "So where is this safe room?"

"Right back there," Kurt pointed to a large, round hole in the wall.

Daze saw a huge metal door sitting wide open on the out side. It looked like it had some sort of round ladder on the outside. Apart from that he could not see anything that looked like a handle of any kind.

"So how does it work?" Daze asked.

"It used to be a safe, a large room used to store money," Kurt got up and walked towards it, "You see right here is a combination lock, you turn it the right way and it will unlock the door for you to open. On the inside we have a handle for easy opening."

"Why do you still have the lock there?"

"Just incase the locust cut power before an attack, then they wont be able to get in."

"Well it looks cozy doesn't it girls." Daze smiled at where Susan, Clara and Holly were standing. "Look they even got a mirror and water."

"The water is for emergencies only, sorry ladies."

"Oh, well you can still doll up at the mirror! Anyone got any makeup?"

Daze jumped back just in time to escape a well aimed kick from Clara.

Kurt chuckled and turned back toward the fire. "Everyone gather round, its time for dinner."

Daze looked at the top of the building and noticed that the only a sliver of light was cast on the side. He could hear and see the braver, or perhaps the more resistant Kryll flying around the inside of the building. He saw Kurt draw a knife. Dio flipped her boltok around and grasped it by the barrel.

"What's going on?" Holly had come up beside him.

"I'm not sure," Daze looked around curiously, "But I think we'll find out."

"Now Sev!" Kurt said in the darkness.

There was a clack and then the lights came on to reveal hundreds of Kryll flying around. They immediately flew downwards trying to escape the light. Some flew straight into the floor while others simply fell from the air like rocks.

Kurt and his men, along with Dio, ran and began hitting the Kryll in the head with whatever tool they had. Some used the butts of guns like Dio, while others chopped off their heads with knives and ax's like Kurt.

After a few minutes all the Kryll were either dead or had escaped back into the shadows.

"You kids ever had Kryll before?" Kurt asked as he began skinning the dead creatures.

"Nope, but I am one to try new things." Daze said as he watched the skinning process.

"Yeah right!" Clara laughed. "You wouldn't even try those beans that one time Theresa made them!"

"Well when I'm starving and haven't eaten anything all day!" Daze grabbed a Kryll and began skinning it the way the others were doing. "Besides, I'm feeling adventurous."

In a few minutes they had the Kryll on sticks and were cooking them over the fire.

"Make sure that they're blackened just enough to allow you to scrape off a layer of ash," Kurt said to them as he roasted a large Kryll, "If you don't you might get sick."

Daze sat down and began to cook Kryll absentmindedly. He was drained. Even though he had woken up no more than an hour before he was still dog tired. He watched as Holly got up and walked into the safe room. She closed the door till only a small crack kept it open.

She looks worse than me.

Quote:

Daze thought to himself.

He grabbed her skewer and finished cooking it for her.

The others were all sitting around the main fire telling stories and making jokes. Daze wondered at the happiness he saw. Sure, he and the others were relatively happy but these men were another thing altogether. He heard Dio talking about their fight with great embellishment.

Daze stood and walked towards the safe, both Kryll in hand.

Holly shut the door almost all the way then pulled her previously white tank top over her head and examined it closely. She looked at the blood of the grub she'd chain sawed and noticed an interesting spray pattern. She liked it.

Ha! She laughed to herself. I like the look of blood on my clothes, I must be going crazy!

Holly moved to the mirror and looked at herself. Her blond hair was disheveled and the ponytail was falling apart in the back. She gathered her hair in her hand and started to fix the ponytail when she thought better of it and let her hair fall to her neck in uneven locks.

She was starting to adjust her bra when something snapped and it went falling to the floor.

Holly bent quickly to pick it up. Oh no, Not now!

She grabbed it up and was about to put it on when she noticed that side strap was missing, almost as if it had been burned.

Holly looked down.

She saw that the skin on her arm and shoulder was cracked and flaky. She looked down and saw that most of her left breast was just as cracked and ugly as her arm and shoulder.

What would he say? What would he say if he could see her now? Would he except her the way she was? Of course he would have…but which he was she thinking of now?

There was a creak in the door. She turned around suddenly.

Daze was standing there. He was holding two sticks, each with a Kryll on it. He turned immediately to go.

"No…" Holly barely whispered it.

"No?" Daze stopped and looked straight into her eyes.

"I…I want you here…" Holly looked confused, "I want to talk with you."

"About what?" Daze continued to hold her gaze, his eyes not straying even in the slightest.

"I," She broke off, "I don't know!"

And with that she ran sobbing into his outstretched arms. He held her close. Holly felt safe in his arms, even though the world had gone to hell she still felt like everything was okay. It would all be fine. She buried her face into his shoulder and felt the heat of his body. She didn't realize how cold it had gotten. A small breeze blew her hair around her face.

"Daze?" She looked up into his face and caught his gaze.

"Yes?" He stared back at her, eyes unwavering.

"Do…do you think I'm…pretty?" She felt silly for asking such a childish question, but she didn't feel all that far from a child right now.

"I think you're beautiful," He said as he brushed an errant lock up behind her ear.

The sincerity and frankness with which he said it surprised her.

"But you didn't see my…"

"Shh… I did see, while you were sleeping," He put a finger to her lips, "But that's not what makes you beautiful."

"Then what does?" Holly asked.

"Here," Daze handed her the larger Kryll and leaned back in a corner of the room with her head resting on his chest, "Why don't you tell me?"

Holly draped the tank top over herself and told Daze about her childhood, about her family and their resistance in the woods around Lethia Imulsion mine. She told him about Carson and how hard it had been to live in their old base and how that was the reason they had traveled to Jacinto in the first place.

Holly didn't realize when she fell asleep. She only new that when she did it was in the arms of someone who had listened to her every word and had probably even cared just as much.

Well…

She wondered. But there was no wondering about how safe she felt.

Daze woke up to the sound of soft breathing. He started to move and then remembered that Holly's head was still resting on his chest.

He looked around.

Dio was sitting in the far corner from him. She was spinning her pistol around her finger, watching the door of the safe. The room was dark except for the small amount of light that streamed in through the opening they had left open in the door.

She looked up and caught Daze's glance. She smiled at him then winked. Daze smiled back. He looked around. Clara, Justin and the others were sprawled out all over the room.

"What happened?" Daze asked Dio quietly.

"You did." She whispered back. "My dad thought that you all might as well sleep in here as long as nobody "screwed around" as my dad put it."

"Well that works."

"Yeah…"

The light from the door flickered a couple times.

Daze caught his breath.

They heard a gunshot.

"Locust!" Someone shouted from the outside.

The lights went out.

Holly sat up as Daze jumped to where he had set his Carbine. He grabbed it and moved to the door.

"Shut the door!" Kurt shouted from somewhere out side.

They heard an primal scream ring out from somewhere far away. "Get the off me! Get them off me! AHHHHHHHHH!" The scream ended in a gurgled moan as the flapping of wings and the reports from guns drowned out the sounds.

Daze ran to the door and began pulling it. It was so heavy that he couldn't close it. Dio ran to help and they pulled at it till it started to move slowly, very slowly.

There was a thud on the outside of the door and then its started to move in quickly.

"Aim for their lights!" Kurt roared as he pushed the door into place, "You'll take em all out with one shot!"

"Dad! Get inside!" Dio shouted.

"Its okay baby!"

"At least get to the fire!"

"The fire is out and the closest lantern is too far away." Dio heard the pain in his voice and noticed the shrieks of the Kryll.

"No!" She screamed. "No you can't die! Open the door and we'll let you in!"

"Its just as dark in there as it is out here baby girl." Kurt gave a final heave and the door slammed shut.

"No!" Dio was crying as she beat her fists on the door. "Why? Just light your own lantern!"

Kurt let out a painful roar of anger and beat his own fist on the door. "I love you Diomache! Don't ever forget it!"

"I love you daddy!" She continued to cry as she pressed her face against the door. "Say hi to mom for me!"

"I will."

The sounds of battle stopped or had receded far enough away that they couldn't be heard.

"No!" Dio collapsed to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably while the others sat back in stunned silence.

Daze listened to her in the darkness as they waited for morning.


	14. Chapter 14: The Insatiable Fire

Chapter 14

Daze held Dio in his arms as she wept in front of the safe door. The rest of the stranded had come filtering back a half hour before morning. They had mopped up the rest of the locust and then opened the vault to a distraught Dio.

There was little of Dio's father left, but she grabbed whatever relic she could to keep his memory close. Daze looked down and noticed that she was holding a bloodstained, wooden teddy bear in her hand. Half of the bear was rough and coarse while the other half was completely smooth and painstakingly carved.

Dio began to cry again as she stared at the small carving. She picked up the carving knife and tucked it away in her pocket as tremendous sobs racked her body. Daze pulled her head into his shoulder and tried to comfort her. He even cried with her, their tears mingling and falling to the ground until he stopped and waited for Dio to finish grieving.

She eventually quieted and sat motionless except for her heavy breathing.

Holly watched this all unfold with a kind of detached empathy. She was sad for Dio. She could remember the way she had felt when her parents died, yet even after her emotional talk with Daze, it was a strained, far away feeling. What Daze was doing was confusing to her. They had shared a moment in the vault. It had been romantic, hadn't it? Yet this wasn't romantic at all, but the feeling of love was as strong, if not stronger.

Holly knew that she had felt comforted, she knew that Daze had loved her in that time. Yet was it the same kind of love that he was showing now? Or was it what she hoped it was?

Holly felt herself doubting whether or not it had been as important as she had first thought. Maybe Daze had a strange empathy for anyone who needed comfort. Maybe he was drawn to the broken. Or they were drawn to him.

She wondered about this. She didn't want to detract from the feelings she had felt earlier, yet she doubted her own intuition in the matter.

_Maybe I shouldn't think of him that way_, Holly thought to herself, _ Maybe he doesn't think of me like that at all._

She looked toward him longingly. He stood up as he held Dio in his arms and walked toward the man that Kurt had called Sev.

"Does she have any personal belongings?" Daze asked, Dio still curled up in his arms.

"No." Sev stared at her, his expression blank, unnerved.

"Then I'm taking her with me." Daze turned and walked toward the exit.

"Where will you go?" Sev asked. "Why don't you stay and help us fight?"

Daze hesitated a moment, then continued walking. "We have something we have to do first. We might come back when we're done."

"You're always welcome to." Sev stood at a loss for words. The other men had come up around him and were watching as the group of teens loaded up their weapons and started after Daze.

Holly picked up her lancer and followed Daze.

"Are we gone yet?" Dio asked, eyes shut tight.

"Yes, but I can still see the building." Daze comforted her.

"Tell me when we can't."

"I will."

Daze and his friends walked on for a while until Daze finally set Dio on her feet and then continued on.

"Where are we going Daze?" Dio asked quietly after they had walked for some time.

"There." Daze pointed to where Jacinto rose from the surrounding city of Ephyra, with its large, ornate buildings and imposing watchtowers with hulking sentry guns and mortar emplacements, as well as it's large smokestacks spewing steam into the morning sky.

"Why are we going there?"

"Because those guys wanted to get married the right way." Daze said as he pointed to Susan and Jordan.

"That's stupid." Dio said sullenly.

"I thought so too," Daze said as he walked, "but its probably the only thing that saved us."

"Well I guess it wasn't all bad."

They heard a roar and then an explosion from somewhere up the road.

Daze ran to the sidewalk and ducked into an alleyway. He looked around for the others. Jack, Holly and Jet were just disappearing from sight, everyone else was gone except Dio who had followed him.

"What was that?" Dio whispered.

"I'm not sure." Daze looked down the street for anything that could have made the noises. There was another explosion a few blocks down as the street erupted in a shower of concrete. There was a screech as a Centaur tank skidded through the intersection and came racing towards them.

Almost as soon as the tank had passed, a large Brumak rounded the corner and fired the large cannon on its back.

The tank's armored side exploded in a white hot ball of flame and shrapnel.

Daze saw the mangled figure of a human thrown out of the tank as it veered left and crashed into a building, sending glass and concrete flying. The Brumak turned and stalked away when nothing moved inside the smoking mass of metal.

As soon as the Brumak was out of sight Daze was running for the tank. Clara reached the body of the gear who had fallen from the tank first. The head was hanging limp to the side, part of the neck sliced through. Half the gear's face was burned too badly to be recognized but the other half revealed feminine features and long brown hair. She was missing her left arm, but also had a jagged piece of metal protruding from her chest.

"She's dead." Clara shouted to Daze.

Daze hurried over to the tank just in time to see a gear pull himself out of the burning wreckage.

"Are you all right?" Daze asked as he knelt next to the gear. The man coughed and choked as he struggled to pull off his helmet. Daze helped him as he looked over his wounds.

"Thank you." The man coughed. "Is Seda alright?"

"No."

"Was it painful?" His expression saddened.

"She probably died instantly." Clara said as she walked up.

"Lucky btch." A grim smile crossed his face, "Well she's better off then me. You think I'm going to make?"

"I doubt it." Daze looked at where the man's legs had been.

"Well I was wondering why I couldn't feel em." The man leaned his head back in resignation. "You kids wouldn't happen to have a drink on any of you would ya?"

"Here's some water." Daze said as he offered a canteen to the man.

"Thanks kid," He spit out a mouthful of blood then took a drink, "what's your name?"

"Daze Jericho, why?"

"Old Veritas eh?" The man let out a weak laugh, "I thought you reminded me of someone. Well you kids take care, just give our Cog tags to the first Gear you come across."

"Will do sir."

"Thanks again son." The man coughed a few more times and then rested his head back and closed his eyes.

Daze pulled the cog tags off the dead soldier and stuck them in his pocket along with the bloody set that Clara tossed to him.

"Lets spread out and look for anything useful." Susan said solemnly as they stood around the body.

Slowly, one by one, they fanned out and began looking for any items of interest.

"Hey Jack, look at this!" Jet called out from a pile of wreckage next to the destroyed tank.

"What is it? Holly asked as she walked up.

I don't know but it looks like a gun. Should I touch it?" Jet was so excited that it looked to Holly like it was his birthday.

"I don't think so." Holly said, eyeing the object in question. To her it looked more like a jumble of pipes with a strange disc attached to it and a nozzle.

"Aww come on!" Jet pleaded, "It's got a trigger!"

"Only if you make sure to point it away from me." Holly grumbled.

"Sweet!" Jet rushed to pick it up. He grabbed it and pointed it at a wall a few feet from him.

Suddenly there was a sound like a gunshot then Jet let out a cry and doubled over, moaning in pain.

"Jet!" Holly screamed as she rushed to him. "Jet, are you okay!"

The others looked over in surprise as Jack stood still, face buried in his hand.

Jet collapsed on to the ground and rolled over as Holly reached him.

"Jet! What happened?" Holly tried frantically to pull his arms from his stomach, "You have to let me help you!"

Jet's moans presently turned to intense peals of laughter as he pulled his hand from his stomach to reveal a snub pistol.

Jack shook his head as Holly slapped Jet across the face.

Jet continued to laugh as the others went back to what they were doing.

"You little jerk!" Holly said as she slapped him again. "What were you thinking! You want that Brumak to come back?"

"I just couldn't resist!" Jet finally stopped laughing, though he did allow the occasional chuckle, "Sorry about that sis!"

"Bullsht!" Holly said as she stepped back. "Now lets see what this thing does."

"Sure thing!" Jet picked up the device and pointed what looked to be the business end towards a pane of glass.

A spray of liquid fire leapt from the nozzle and splashed against the glass, sticking to it as the flames spread outward.

"Woah," Jet said as he watched the glass burning, "This is so awesome!"

He looked down at the flamethrower to see if anything could tell him how much was left.

There were several small click wheels that would scroll whenever he fired the weapon. The far right wheel would scroll very quickly while all the others would scroll at progressively slower rates. The amount left on the wheels was one hundred and thirty-two.

"I wonder how you reload this thing?" Jet looked around in confusion.

"That disc shaped thing looks like it might have something to do with it." Jack pointed at the flamethrower. "I see a couple of extra discs sitting over there."

"Lets see here," Jet mumbled to himself, "There's gotta be a button somewhere on this…"

Suddenly the disc popped off in his hand. He took one of the extra ones and snapped it on then looked at the click wheel. It was unchanged. Jet pointed the flamethrower at the glass again and pulled the trigger. Fire spewed from the nozzle as the click wheel quickly scrolled to two hundred and forty-three.

"There it is!" Jet said as he unhooked the fresh disc and put the old one back. He loaded the three extra ones on his belt.

"New toy Jet?" Daze asked as he walked up.

"Oh yeah!" Jet looked like a puppy about to pee from sheer excitement.

"Calm down there Jet!" Daze laughed at the show of excitement, "I don't need you changing your underwear in the middle of the street, so if you don't mind…"

An explosion shattered the building across the street. Daze's heart fell into his boots as a tremendous roar swept the street.

He looked back to see the Brumak emerge from the street it had disappeared down a few minutes before. Flames leapt from the wrist mounted machine guns and then the ground around them exploded in a shower of concrete.

"Run!" Daze shouted as he tried to escape into the building next to them.

He ducked behind the tank just as a wave of bullets ricocheted off the heavy armor. Daze looked around frantically to see if everyone had made it. He was about to breath a sigh of relief when he heard a cry of pain.

A spray of blood darkened the colorless concrete as Dio fell to her hands and knees. Blood poured from her stomach as she dragged herself towards the tank.

"Daze!" She screamed through the pain, "I think the tank is still working!"

"What?" Daze shouted back over the noise of the distant machine guns.

"The tank!" Dio pointed as she continued crawling, "I think we could use it."

Daze understood what she was saying and immediately jumped onto the tank and started pushing at the barrel. "Help me out guys!"

Justin, Holly and Jordan all ran up to help him heave the heavy cannon into a more useful position.

"What are we doing?" Holly asked as Dio pulled herself up into the gunners seat.

"It's armed Daze!" Dio shouted from inside the shell of the tank.

"Will it shoot?" Daze asked as he took cover and fired his carbine at the now advancing Brumak.

"I think so! There's a glowing button that looks right!"

"Okay! Now get out of there!" Daze reloaded as he hid behind the tank.

"No Daze! I'm staying!"

"Absolutely not! You have no idea how many times this has happened! I'm not letting you stay!"

"But how will we fire the…" Dio let out a pained gasp as a bullet ripped off her arm. Time seemed to slow around her as an explosion bathed the tank in heat. Dio's small body jerked as another bullet pierced her back and ripped out of her chest. She sat in the seat for a moment, stunned.

"Dio?" Daze shouted from behind the tank, "Dio!"

As if in response, the tank's machinegun roared into life as the Brumak stepped into the sights. The Brumak roared in pain and staggered back.

"Sorry about that Daze," Dio's voice was strained and weak, "I think I found the right…"

An explosion from the tank drowned out her words as the tank rocked on its wheels. The round slammed into the Brumak's right arm and exploded sending the beast crashing into a building along with a shower of blood.

Daze was about to jump over the tank and grab Dio when the Brumak staggered back into sight.

Daze saw the Brumak start to aim its back cannon at the tank when Jack and Jet grabbed him and dragged him back.

"I see a river Daze, he's waiting, he's proud of…" Dio let her head rest on the seat back as white heat enveloped her.

"No!" Daze shouted. The round gutted the tank and sent it's wheels and turret flying. There was nothing left of it that resembled anything.

"Let's go Daze!" Holly shouted from somewhere up ahead.

Daze pulled himself up and began to run, the roar of the Brumak haunting his steps.


	15. Chapter 15: A Longing Fulfilled

Chapter 15: Until Death

The group walked in a tense silence. Eyes alert for movement, fingers hovering over triggers. The reality of all that had happened in twenty-four hours was starting to dawn on them.

They had all had their own private thoughts of what they would do now.

"Daze?" Clara's voice broke the stillness, "What will we do after we're done with this?"

"Fight, I think." Daze said, surprised by his own words. The idea had at that very moment entered his mind and now he knew it to be true. "We'll try to live as best we can, but I think we have to fight."

"We won't always be so lucky Daze." Jack said quietly. "It wont always go as it has."

"You call this lucky?" His own outburst caught him off guard. Daze sighed, "Then maybe I'll fight. No need to endanger you guys."

"I wasn't telling you not to," Jack looked straight ahead as he walked, "Just reminding you of the inevitable. Frankly, I'd be the first to join you."

Daze looked over and met Jack's glance. Jack's calm, quiet gaze reassured Daze, things would never get too bad.

Or so he hoped.

"Maybe I'll join the Cog." Daze's statement shocked the others.

"No way man!" Jordan looked almost angry, "You can't do that!"

"Yeah, we need you more than they do!" Clara stared hard into Daze's eyes. "You mean to much to us!"

"Where would we be without you?" Justin asked quietly.

"Probably right here." Daze knew in his heart this wasn't true.

"Not a chance!" Susan spoke up, "More likely lying in pools of our own blood in the room where we met Rojas."

"Or countless other places!" Jet spoke now. So they were all getting a word in.

Daze looked at Holly. She was walking in front of him, looking straight ahead. What was she thinking? Did she know he cared for her? He hoped she hadn't misunderstood their talk in the vault. He had been kind yet she had to have detected the softness and caring that he had tried to show her.

A new thought crossed his mind. What if she couldn't let "him" go? What if her thoughts still revolved around her old boyfriend?

"Just don't be too hasty," Susan said calmly, "You don't want to do something you'll regret later on."

"You're right." Daze looked at the ground. What was he really thinking. What did he really want to do. "I'm not even sure that's what I want, I just can't risk all of your happiness for my foolhardy idea."

"Hey," Clara stopped next to him and hugged him, "Our happiness is more tied up with you than you know. You're our friend, when you're happy, we're happy." Then in a more conspiratorial tone. "And I'm almost as happy killing locust with you as I am any other time!"

"Thanks." Daze returned the hug. "It means a lot to me."

"Don't worry about it."

"You know what Daze?" Justin turned to Daze as he spoke,

"What?"

"I think we should deal with this Cog idea when we have to. Otherwise it'll just make everyone miserable."

"That sounds like the best idea." Daze answered.

They all walked on for another hour before they came in sight of the first Cog checkpoint. A sharp voice haled them as they approached.

"Hands up!" A Cog stepped out from a small house and leveled a shotgun at the group.

"We're human." Daze said as he walked forward.

"I don't care if you're angels!" The man threatened them again with the shotgun, "Now put up your hands before I blow your fcking head off!"

Daze stared at the man, shocked at his aggression towards another human being. Sure the Cog generally hated the Stranded and vice versa, but this didn't make sense.

"Okay," Daze slowly raised his hands, "but don't do anything you might regret later."

"Oh don't worry," The man gave him a sly smile, "I'd sleep fine tonight."

"Sure you would." Daze stood uneasily, not liking the situation or where it was going. "So my hands are up, where do we go from here?"

"Put down your weapons," and this time he looked beyond Daze, "and that means all of you!"

"No deal," Now Daze was firm, "We may not be here to fight but there's no way in hell we're giving you our guns."

"Give me your weapons now!" Daze noticed the man click the safety off.

"Okay, okay!" Daze didn't want this to go the wrong way, "I'm going to take my pistol out very slowly and toss it to you."

Daze slowly drew the pistol out of it's holster, emptied the chambers, and tossed it to the Cog. While the revolver was still in the air he suddenly pulled the rifle from his back and aimed it at the man.

As soon as the Gear caught the pistol and turned back toward him, Daze shot. The bullet struck the man's shotgun and sent it flying into the street. The man was reaching for his snub pistol when a round from Clara's sniper rifle shattered it.

"Now do you believe me?" Daze asked.

"You can't just!" The man fumed and sputtered, "I'll have you all…"

"Sarge?" A voice came from the building that the Cog had exited from, "I really don't think they want to hurt us."

"Shut up Wallace!" The sergeant turned and shouted at the building. "I'll ask for editorials if I want 'em!"

"Yo, Wallace is right man!" A new voice echoed from the guardhouse.

"Jose!" Sarge's face had turned such a comical shade of red that Clara started giggling, "You shut your damn mouth!"

"Man that's some bullsht!" Jose replied, "at least R squad is gonna be here soon."

"What?" Sarge's face turned from red to white so quickly that Justin burst out laughing. "You shut up right now!"

"Who's gonna make me?" Justin continued laughing as Sarge spluttered for an answer.

"So how about you give me my pistol back." Daze asked coolly.

"How about I smash it on the ground!" Sarge raised his hand to throw it down.

Daze brought up his carbine to fire when a sharp command checked him.

"Stop right there Travis!" A grizzled old Cog walked up behind Sarge along with three younger male Cogs and one female, "I heard a commotion around here."

"Ah, no sir. No commotion here." Sarge stammered.

"Then why did one of your men call for backup?" The old Cog asked, a knowing look in his eye.

"Um, well, uh we thought that these stranded might be attacking us to uh, you know, to take our guns and stuff."

"You know what? I think he's lying Doc." The female Cog said to the old man.

"Yeah," Jose's voice piped up again from the guardhouse, "It's pretty much a pile bullsht."

"Travis, take your squad and hoof it back to base. Oh, and give the boy his gun back!"

"Yes sir!" Sarge scrambled at the order, first stopping as if to salute, then thinking better of it and running to pick up his shotgun off the road. He came back, gave Daze the revolver then turned and hurried off down the road.

"And no more behavior unbefitting of an officer," Doc shouted after him as Sarge and his squad made their way back to base, "Otherwise there'll be hell to pay!"

The group of teens meanwhile, had been watching the whole scene with smiling faces.

"So, what are you kids doing out here?" Doc asked as his squad got comfortable around the guardhouse.

"We came to see if we could get married." Daze blurted out.

"All of you," Doc let out a deep chuckle, "At once?"

Daze blushed then pointed to Clara and the others. "No, just those four over there."

"Just those four?" Doc shot Daze that knowing look of his.

"Um," Daze glanced at Holly, yet she refused to make eye contact with him, "Yeah, just those four."

"Well you kids are in luck!" This time Doc let out a great, grandfatherly laugh, "I just so happen to have been an ordained Chaplin back in the day! Hmm, now let's see if I can remember what to say."

Daze smiled as he saw the look on Clara's face. Justin was no less excited and neither were Susan and Jordan. All four rushed up to where Doc was standing.

"Now stand here and hold each others hands like this," Doc said while he positioned them just the right way, "Now you boys are gonna repeat after me and then the girls will and before you know it we'll have ourselves to genuine married couples!"

"Oh, wait!" Doc slapped his forehead with mock frustration, "We can't have ourselves a weddin' with out some maid's of honor and whatnot!"

"Oh, come on!" Clara was almost jumping up and down from excitement, "We don't need maids of honor!"

"Now missy, you just settle yourself down. We are gonna do this thing good and proper," Doc looked at those who were gathered around, "Boys you go stand over behind the other boys and girly, you stand behind those other two. Now this has to be even, lets see…Hey Blaze, git yourself over here!"

"What's up Doc?" The female Cog came out from the guardhouse.

"We need this to be even, tell Cypher to git his ass out here!" Doc looked like he hadn't had this much fun in years.

"Hey Cypher!" Blaze shouted, "Get out here for a minute!"

Two men came walking out of the building. One was a tall white kid with spiky blonde hair, and the other was a Latino.

"What do ya need Doc?" The Latino answered.

"I need you to go stand by Blaze and that other girl over there, you're gonna be a maid of honor in this here wedding."

The blonde Cog laughed as he stood watching.

After everyone had taken their places Doc began. It was a short ceremony, and Doc had to stop a few times to try and remember what to say. Forever afterward he always said that it was the "most absurd thing I ever did see!" But he finally got to the last part about sickness and health, for richer or poorer, at which point Justin cracked a joke that had everyone laughing.

When Doc had gotten everyone calmed down he said with grave solemnity, "I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may both kiss your brides."

Justin took Clara in his arms and kissed her as Jordan did the same with Susan. They stood that way, kissing for a while before a cough from Daze signaled that they should probably wind down.

"Yes!" Clara gave a little shriek of joy and rushed over and hugged Daze, "Finally!"

"Finally is right!" Daze smiled down into her eyes, "Now I can have Justin tell you to heel when you get on my nerves!"

Clara slugged him in the arm and shot him a dirty look, yet her eyes betrayed her joy.

"So where are we gonna stay for the night?" Clara asked almost breathless.

"Calm down already!" Daze laughed heartily, "You're hornier than a dog in heat!"

"Oh shut up! You would be to if you had just gotten married!"

"Probably, but right now I can say whatever I want!"

"Kids, kids!" Doc was laughing with them, "How about you guys get headed to wherever you're going, I don't want you all around if another squad shows up. They might not take a liking to stranded the way I do!"

"Alright, Thanks for everything Doc." Daze said to him as he walked a little ways off.

"No problem. You kids take care now."

"Oh, one more thing," Daze pulled the Cog tags from his pocket and tossed them to Doc, "A tank was attacked by a Brumak a ways back. They didn't make it."

Doc looked at the Cog tags and frowned. "Thank you son, I'll get these to any family members ASAP."

"So where do we go?" Susan asked as they all gathered around and left the Gears to their business.

"I think we should head back to the orphanage." Daze said in a rather subdued tone, "We can give our friends a burial and the locust probably left the supplies untouched."

"That sounds like a good idea," Justin said giving Clara a nudge, "and we got beds to."

"Well why not. Lets say thanks to Doc and them and then get on our way." Jack walked over to where the Doc was sitting, writing in a journal.

"Hey, thanks for everything…" Daze didn't hear the rest of the conversation as he saw Doc rip out the page and put it his pocket then shake Jack's hand.

Daze waited a short distance from the guardhouse while the others said thank you and goodbye. He wondered if he should ask Holly before they left, but then the others were already coming toward him and he didn't want to hold them up.

_Some other time._ Daze thought as he started walking along the dusty street back towards the orphanage.


	16. Chapter 16: Hope Deferred

Chapter 16: Hope Deferred

"Are you done yet?" Daze called out towards the brick wall that blocked his view of the girls.

"No, now just be patient!" Clara shot back.

"Why do girls suck so much?" Daze asked sarcastically.

"Well we've hardly had time to come to that conclusion now haven't we?" Clara's voice came from the other side.

Justin snorted as he stifled a laugh.

"Shut up slut!" Daze smiled even though he hated being beaten at his own game, "I meant at taking a piss!"

"You do know we don't exactly have the same hardware as you guys right?" Daze heard giggling from the other side of the wall.

"Of course I do," Daze paused a moment for affect, "You showed me remember?"

Daze smiled as he heard a gasp and the giggling intensified.

"That's a lie!" Clara shouted.

"So?" Daze burst out laughing, "It still got you blushing!"

"You're such a jerk!"

"Yeah sure whatever, now hurry up!"

After a little while, Clara came running around the wall and headed straight for Daze. Daze took off immediately down the road, laughing the while he did.

"I'll get you!" She shouted after him, shaking her fist.

"We'll see!" Daze shouted back, "Now let's get going, we're almost to the orphanage."

Daze looked off down the road towards the orphanage with a mix of hope and trepidation. He desired to put his friends to rest, but he also wondered what his reaction would be.

And what if the locust were still there?

Daze hadn't before considered this. Besides, what interest would the locust have in hanging around a place where everyone was obviously dead. No, Daze told himself, it was impossible.

Yet still he doubted.

"Clara!" He shouted back, "Come here quick!"

"What's up buddy?" Clara said as she ran up and punched him in the arm, "But thank you all the same."

"No problem," Daze turned and began walking again, "I want you to help me scout the orphanage before I go in."

"You think there are locust still around?" Clara's expression darkened, "But there's no reason they should still be around."

"Unless they know that they didn't get all of us."

"But why would we come back?"

"Why are we coming back?" Daze asked, "Because it's home."

"I guess, but the locust aren't that patient…"

"Normally," Daze broke in, "But why did they come back in the first place?"

"Hmm," Now the look of concern gave way to resignation, "Well they haven't killed us yet, and I do love sending their brains against the wall."

Daze shot her a sidelong glace that she didn't seem to notice, then shrugged and walked on.

Holly followed the others at a short distance. She looked at the happy couples ahead of her and wished she had made a move back at the Cog guardhouse. Sure it had seemed like she meant no more to Daze then any random person they met, yet she couldn't help but feel that she had made a mistake.

Presently, they came within sight of the orphanage. Daze seemed relieved that they hadn't met with any locust on their travel back. She heard him sigh as he turned into the same old strip mall they had hidden in as the locust had attacked the building.

Holly drifted into the same room they had occupied earlier. She looked out a hole in the wall at the grand house that served as home for her new friends.

She could see crows picking at something on the dirt behind the orphanage. Mercy.

Holly looked away from the remains and gazed at the once magnificent structure that rose like a lone sentinel from the buildings around.

The house itself was three stories tall and shaped like a large square tower. The top was flat and she could only guess that it allowed access to the roof. There were many windows but most of these were boarded up.

The buildings around were all a good fifty yards off thanks to the large lawn in the back and the long driveway that led from what looked to be an interesting underground garage all the way to a road. It was recessed from the road while all the other house came right up close to it.

Holly wondered if the former owners had been rich or if it had been built before any of the surrounding houses. Indeed it looked old enough, yet it also appeared to have been so immaculately tended to that it was still in good shape, despite fourteen years of disrepair and a life and death battle.

She turned from the house and looked to where the others were discussing something. As she was watching, Clara got up and left the room with Justin following. Soon Susan and Jordan also got up and left.

Holly turned to Daze and asked, "What's going on?"

"We're scouting around before we run out in the open," Daze attached the Carbine to his back and took the lancer in hand, "You three are staying here incase something happens."

"And what will we do here?"

Daze squeezed the lancer's fore grip and it came to life with a small whir of the chainsaw and the blinking of lights. "You'll wait for one of us to come get you, or you'll cover any of us who make a run for the house. I've already told Jack what to do."

"Alright," Holly wasn't sure how to handle it. Daze seemed to be ignoring her for the most part, or was that only because she was ignoring him, "Be careful."

"I will." Daze chambered a round with a satisfying clack as he mad his way out of the room and down the hall.

"Don't worry about it sis," Jack said as they watched him go, "That wasn't your last chance."

Holly looked into his wise, knowing face felt some comfort. There would be more chances.

.

Clara followed Justin through the strip mall, checking corners and making sure no locust were hiding out. She had secured her Longshot on her back and held the Reaper sub-machinegun lightly in her hand.

Justin was moving into each room quickly and carefully, shotgun extended and ready for quick use. They had covered a lot of ground since they had left Daze and were coming to the end of the strip mall.

Justin found a large hole in the wall and looked out towards one of the houses that surrounded the orphanage.

"Cover me." He whispered it Clara.

Justin jumped out through the hole and ran for the house. He came to an old rotten door and smashed through it with his shoulder, disappearing into the house. A moment later he came into sight again and signaled Clara to follow.

Clara sprinted across the opening and into the doorway.

"You see anything?" She asked as they started moving through the house.

"Nope." Justin looked out the back window at the orphanage. There was no movement. "You check upstairs."

Clara ran up the stairs and checked all the rooms.

"Nothing," Clara said to Justin as came up the stairs, "Actually, there is an old bed."

Justin raised an eyebrow as Clara walked toward the bed and sat down, brushing the hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"So?" She said seductively as she patted the bed next to her, "What do you think?"

"I think we'll have enough time tonight," Justin said, yet Clara could tell he was tempted.

"Aww, come on and…"

"Put your pants back on Clara!" Daze's voice crackled through the earpiece, "Justin's right."

Clara jumped at his voice. "How many times am I going to have to punch you today?"

"Oh don't even pretend!" Daze said, "Now cover me, I'm going to make a run for the orphanage."

Clara looked out of a window and watched for Daze. Presently he came running out from one of the houses directly across from them. He ran to the door, then pushed it open and entered the orphanage.

"I'm in." Daze's voice came through the earpiece.

"How does it look?" Clara asked.

"Bad."

Daze stepped over the rotting body of a locust drone. The smell almost to much to take.

He saw blood everywhere, splattered against the walls and pooled on the floor. The gruesome horror hit home when he stumbled on the body of one of the other orphans. He couldn't recognize who it had been, nor whether it had been a boy or a girl. The flies hadn't gotten to it yet, but Daze knew it would only be a matter of time.

He walked slowly through the halls of the orphanage. There were locust bodies scattered about, as well as the occasional human. Daze looked about for Theresa, but he wasn't even sure he would recognize her.

Daze walked to the stairs and headed up. He came out on the roof and saw Tom's body leaning up against the three foot high retaining wall. There were several holes in his chest that matched up with holes in the wall. Daze saw a beat up lancer off to the side.

"It looks clear," Daze said into the mic, "Better come on in."

He walked down the stairs and into the basement. He found an emergence hole in the room next to the garage. The door was smashed and standing open. Daze stepped over a dead grub and surveyed the carnage.

He found a dead body lying among the junk that was stashed around. He looked for the hiding place he and some of his friends had dug out of the pile and found a streak of blood but no body.

Someone made it out.

"Who?" Daze wondered aloud to himself.

"Who what?" Clara asked.

Daze turned around and looked at her. There were tears in her eyes and she looked as though she would collapse at any moment.

"Someone survived." Daze said.

"Who was it?"

"That's what I was wondering." Daze walked to Clara and hugged her, "It's alright. Why don't you head up to the roof and be lookout. Justin and I will take care of the bodies."

"Okay." Clara's eyes were puffy and red and Daze heard her sniffle on her way out.

Daze turned back to the room. Over to the side, next to where the generator hummed quietly, was his motorcycle. Daze felt a wave of relief as he looked it over. It was just like the dirt bike his dad had taught him to ride when he was younger only a lot bigger. Many of the parts bore at least a little rust, and the overall color was a kind of orange, red with its own hint of rust.

Daze walked over and flipped the key on. The instruments flicked to life and the headlight beamed against the wall. Daze turned the key off and walked up the steps. He found Justin dragging the locust to the steps and then shoving them down.

"Toss them in the emergence hole." Justin said as he pushed another one down.

"Will do," Daze said as he grabbed one, "Make sure you grab anything useful though okay?"

"Got it."

Daze looked at the ones Justin had already thrown down and noticed a few had spare ammo magazines, some had snub pistols and others had knives. Daze noticed a pair of goggles on the head of one, pulled them off and tried them on. The lens's were orange and made everything look a little darker, but otherwise they fit well and he might even use them while riding.

Daze heard footsteps and looked up the stairs.

"How you doing?" Susan asked quietly.

"Not good, as usual." Daze muttered as he stripped the useful gear off the locust and then dumped them down the emergence hole.

"Hopefully it'll ease up soon." Susan said as she took one of the snub pistols and strapped it to her belt.

"Why do you need two of those?" Daze asked, noticing the other one on her belt.

"I don't want to use anything too heavy," She said as she continued working, "I want to be free to bring you guys ammo and whatever you need."

"You're always thinking ahead." Daze said with satisfaction, "I've always loved that about you."

"Thanks." Susan gave him a smile and then picked up the spare ammo belts and carried them upstairs.

"Hey," Daze shouted up the steps, "Are Holly and the twins in yet?"

"I didn't see them come in." Susan replied, "I'll check for you."

"Thank you!"

"No problem."

Daze turned back to his work and finished shoving the last locust over to the hole.

Then he felt the house shake.

"Damn locust!" Daze muttered as he grabbed his lancer and ran up the stairs.


	17. Chapter 17: Decent Into Madness

Chapter 17: Decent Into Madness

"What's going on?" Daze asked as he rushed from the stairs.

"Nothing yet," Susan was pressed up against the wall with a hammerburst, watching the doorway for movement, "But you might want to go check with Clara."

"Sounds good." Daze kept low to the ground as he ran up the stairs.

"Do you see anything?" Daze asked Clara who was scanning the area around the orphanage.

"I saw a few locust, but they disappeared into some buildings," Clara brought up her rifle and looked through the scope, "Check that, here they are again."

"What are they doing?" Daze asked as he looked out over the side.

"It looks like they're setting up to watch or give covering fire," Clara rested the longshot on the railing then calmed her breathing. She took two deep breaths, then another and held it after letting it out a little. Her finger slowly constricted on the trigger then there was a sudden bang and she let out a sigh.

"Get him?" Daze asked quietly.

"Oh yeah," Clara gave him a smile, "I'm sure he's lost his mind."

"That's a horrible pun." Daze laughed a little bit, "Hey, you see Holly and the twins?"

"No. Aren't they in yet?" Clara looked worried as she scoped in on the room where they had split up.

"No, and nobody has seen them either." Daze also looked worried.

Bang.

Daze turned and looked at Clara who grinned at him again.

"You just keep on taking them out," Daze said as he stepped to the door that led downstairs, "Be careful though."

"I'll be good!" Clara said as she reloaded.

"Yeah, okay." Daze ran down the steps to find Justin.

"Yo Daze?" Justin asked as he waited with Susan in the back hallway, "Is Clara all right?"

"Yeah, now where are Holly and the twins?" A hint of panic edged his voice as he ran to the door and looked out.

A burst of bullets shattered the doorframe and sent Daze jumping back.

"We got locust!" Daze shouted as he retreated to the stairway and readied his lancer, "Justin! Head down stairs and make sure no locust make it up that emergence hole!"

Daze looked over at Susan who held a hammerburst calmly and easily in her hands. She was leaning back against the wall of a perpendicular hallway. Next to her were three more hammerburst's leaning against the wall, ready for action. There was also a pile of spare magazines sitting at her feat.

"You got extra's honey?" Jordan asked from the doorway behind Daze's.

Daze turned around and nodded to Jordan who had just come up behind them. Jordan was holding a hammerburst also and aiming it down the hallway.

"I got everything you need baby." Susan smiled back at him then was all business as she waited for the locust to attack.

Daze waited. Seconds felt like minutes, those same minutes felt like hours and in that time it felt as though days could have passed. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Daze as he waited with baited breath.

This was it. This was where his leadership was tested. This was where his friends would die.

"Not if I can help it," Daze muttered as he squeezed the trigger.

Flames erupted from the barrel as a locust filled his sights. The bullets entered the front of it's armor and tore into it's chest. The drone crumpled and fell dead to the floor.

Gunfire crashed from all sides as the locust began their attack. Another grub leapt into the doorway and was gunned down like the first.

Daze ducked out of the hallway as a grenadier leapt into the doorway and fired it's shotgun. He felt the pieces of wood bounce off his face then heard a hammerburst. He looked out and saw the locust's mangled body fall to the floor.

Two more locust jumped into the hallway and ran towards them.

Daze fired at the first one and managed to bring it to its knees. The locust behind it tripped and fell headlong down the hall. Daze put a burst into the downed locust then felt blood splatter against his face as Susan sprayed the fallen one with her hammerburst. Daze grabbed the body and shoved it down the stairs then wiped his face clean.

"Anything down there yet?" Daze shouted to Justin as the locust regrouped.

"Nothing!" Justin shouted back, "But I think they're getting ready!"

"You give me a shout if you need any help."

"Will do."

Daze heard a dull thudding sound as something skidded across the floor.

"Grenade!" Susan shouted as she picked it up and threw it back towards the door.

There was a beeping sound and then an explosion shattered the doorway and sent pieces of locust flying.

"Thanks Susan," Daze exclaimed breathlessly, "You all right?"

"I'm fine." Susan yanked the clip out of her hammerburst and slammed a fresh one home.

Daze ducked out of the way again as shots raced down the hallway. He blind fired his lancer, hoping to make whatever was firing take cover.

"It's a pistol Daze!" Susan's voice sounded surprised, "It's just like a hammerburst!"

Daze looked and saw the pistol retreat from around the corner, then a large round plate of metal came into view. It was semicircular with little spikes coming out of it. Behind it was a locust.

Daze watched as the large Grenadier advanced forward, shield in one hand and pistol in the other. Daze saw the head peek out over the top of the shield for a split second and knew which one it was.

It was the locust with the scar who had been in the scouting party that attacked the orphanage the first time. It was the same locust that had attacked yesterday and it was the very same locust that had thrown Mercy to the wretches instead of putting her out of her misery.

"I will kill you!" Daze shouted as the locust advanced. Daze fired his lancer into it but the bullets bounced harmlessly off the shield, "I'll make sure I do it myself!"

Susan and Jordan joined him as they tried to drive the locust back with their fire, but to no avail.

"Susan! Do you have any grenades?" Daze looked over at her as he reloaded.

"I'm out!" She said as she raised her gun to fire again, "This isn't working Daze!"

"I know!" Daze saw the locust crowding into the doorway behind the Grenadier. He saw it pass the pistol back, which was replaced immediately by another.

Wood and sheetrock shattered as the heavy pistol ripped into the walls.

Daze ducked back into cover.

"What are we gonna do?" Susan shouted, the panic in her voice unmistakable.

"Shoot at it's legs!" Daze said as he fired at the locust's feet.

The locust suddenly dropped down behind the shield and fired over it at the teens.

Daze scrambled back into cover.

"Frick!" Daze shouted is exasperation, "Why wont the damn thing die!"

Suddenly there was a roar from the other locust to the rear of the grenadier. Daze looked around the corner and watched as the locust started retreating. The Grenadier was issuing orders as the others ran out into the open.

Suddenly Daze heard a whoosh and saw a stream of fire spray across the opening.

The Grenadier pulled the shield up and began retreating while it fired at Daze and the others with its pistol.

Daze could hear the roars from the other locust as well as a chainsaw when suddenly the Grenadier turned and disappeared out the door. Daze saw another stream of fire chase after it and then Holly, Jack and Jet were in the door and running down the hallway towards them.

"Thank goodness!" Susan said as Jack turned down her hall and waited next to her. Holly and Jet both ducked into Daze's doorway and stood below him on the stairs.

"Jet, head down and help Justin out if the locust try anything," Daze breathed a sigh of relief as he made eye contact with Holly, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks." Holly said, "We saw you guys getting rushed and decided to help you out."

"Well it's a good thing," Daze looked back down the hallway for anymore locust, "Did you happen to get that big one?"

"No, he blocked Jet's flamethrower with his shield." Holly spat down the stairs, "Dirty bastard!"

"No doubt," Daze checked the hallway again and then turned to Holly, "Head upstairs and help Clara out, she may need some suppressive fire."

"Alright," Holly hesitated a moment and looked back, then headed up.

"Daze!" Clara's voice came from the stairs, "Check the living room! I think some got past and might be trying the windows."

"Got it!" Daze jumped out of the doorway and ran back down the hall into the living room. Daze stepped into the dusty old room. There was no noise besides the ticking of the grandfather clock and the sounds of gunfire outside the building. It was a pretty big room, open and furnished with couches and chairs. All the windows were boarded up, yet some light still filtered in and sent sunbeams through the stale air. The majority of the windows were very tall and skinny, running from floor to ceiling while others were normal and square.

Daze waited for any sign of movement. He could hear the occasional crack of Clara's longshot and the steady hum of Holly's lancer. He heard hammerburst fire from the buildings around the orphanage, otherwise there was no distinctive sound.

Daze caught his breath as a shadow passed over one of the windows. He quickly moved against the wall and waited.

A hammerburst crashed through one of the windows next to Daze. He watched as it moved from side to side, smashing and leftover glass and removing loose boards of wood. Daze stood with his lancer ready.

A foot stepped through window and then the body of a locust tried to squeeze through. It turned it's body to be able to fit and started to slide through, it's back to Daze.

Daze revved his chainsaw and swung it into the neck of the locust. The head fell to the ground as the locusts body stayed upright, jammed in the window.

Daze ducked as gunfire punctured the walls of the orphanage. He heard the shattering of glass and the rending of wood as the locust tried to force their way in.

Daze unloaded his lancer into one of the windows and saw blood spray onto the tattered white curtains. He turned and fired into another and watched the locust fall into the room, blood pooling beneath it. Daze turned and rushed to where a locust was just breaking through a window and revved his chainsaw. The locust swung its hammerburst at him but Daze knocked it away and sliced through it's arm. The locust howled with rage as it fell into the room. It pushed itself up and ran at Daze as it drew a knife and raised it over it's head. Daze brought his lancer to his hip and fired.

The bullets took the locust in the legs and it fell to the ground as more bullets ripped up its chest and splattered it brains against the wall. The body slid to a stop at Daze's feet.

"Finally." Daze sighed as he stepped over the body.

Daze heard a chainsaw behind him and turned to see a locust rushing him with a lancer. Daze revved his own lancer and stepped to meet the locust. Their chainsaws met with a clash as Daze held off the locusts blades. The locust continued to press down harder and harder, immense muscles bulging, till Daze knew he couldn't hold it any longer. Instead of pushing against the locust, he sidestepped and batted the lancer down into the floor where the teeth bit into the wooden planks and held it fast. Daze swung his lancer through the locusts arm and into its stomach as blood went spraying across the floor. He spun around behind it and tore the chainsaw up from the bottom of it's spine to the base of its neck. The locust fell forward, it's back split open.

"Look out!" Holly called suddenly.

Daze dropped to the floor as bullets thudded into the wall just above his head. He heard the rattle of a lancer and watched as a one of the assumed dead locust fell back, hammerburst slipping from it's fingers.

"Thanks!" Daze said breathlessly as Holly stepped into the room.

"No problem!" Holly looked extremely relieved, "I'm just glad I got here in time."

"So am I." Daze fell onto one of the couches as the firing eased from the outside. He kept his lancer pointed towards the windows. "So how does it look from up there?"

"Well the locust finally stopped randomly firing at the house," Holly said with some satisfaction, "but then they started shooting at Clara."

"That's not good."

"No, but now she's moving around the third floor," Holly looked at him with wonder, "She can shoot like nobody I've ever seen!"

"Whenever we practiced with the guns here, which wasn't often, she always was the best shot."

"Really?"

"Well I never did like the thought of using a sniper rifle."

Holly smiled at him, "You don't have to be so humble all the time."

"Oh don't worry! I'm sure this is just a façade," Daze laughed, "You should here me talk about how much the ladies love me!"

"Oh I don't need to take your word for it!" Holly smiled at Daze.

"Boomers!" Clara shouted from the stairs.

Daze jumped up and dove behind the couch with Holly as two explosions rocked the house.

"Jack, Jet! Give us a hand up here!" Daze shouted as he ran to find the breach.

Jet was having a good time watching the emergence hole with Justin. They had just broken through the locust when Daze had sent him down here.

It was a good thing to. Justin was way more funny than anyone else he could've been pared with. He had been telling jokes since Jet had made his way down.

"So why did women wear white on their wedding day?" Justin asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"I don't know, why?"

"To match the kitchen appliances!" Justin burst out laughing as he finished the joke.

Jet laughed hysterically until he finally had to stop and catch his breath, "That isn't as applicable anymore, but it's still funny."

"I know, and the kitchen appliances aren't quite white anymore, same thing with the dresses."

Jet laughed a little more then walked over and looked down the hole. Nothing moved.

"So, you got any action yet?" Jet asked as he checked his flamethrower.

"Well Clara was coming on pretty strong, but Daze…"

"I was talking about down here."

"Oh, well no." Justin ejected a round from his shotgun caught it, and slipped it back in the bottom.

"How long we gonna sit here before something happens?"

The snarling of wretches answered his question.

"Yeah!" Jet hopped up and ran to the hole, "Bring it retards!"

Justin pulled him back from the edge as hammerburst bullets sprayed into the ceiling.

"Oh, thanks." Jet said as he waited for the small locust to finish climbing the hole.

Justin took the head off the first one to pop out of the hole, then two more hopped out and he blasted one to pieces. As the third one rushed him he flipped his gnasher upside down and swung it at the small locust's head. Bone shattered and the animal fell to the ground dead.

Justin reloaded quickly as Jet ran to the hole and sprayed the wretches still in it. They lit on fire and fell screaming and barking all the way to the floor.

The smell of burning flesh permeated the air of the small room. Jet checked the ammo in his flamethrower.

"Hey, I got an idea!" Jet said enthusiastically, "How about we get rid of those pesky locust down there?"

"Okay, but how would we do that?"

Jet grabbed one of the wretches and pushed it to the hole and set it precariously on the edge.

He pulled the ammo container off his flamethrower and put a new one on, then he shot at the wretch, lighting it on fire and sending it falling to the ground. Jet ran to the edge and threw the ammo disc down after it.

"Hey, we got grubs sneaking up?" Justin asked as the burning wretch fell down the hole. Jet pointed the flamethrower down into the hole and pulled the trigger. He saw a drone look up just as he did and watched with glee as it lost its grip and fell while the fire consumed it.

Justin ran to the hole and fired at one of the locust that was crawling up the side. The shotgun blast took it square in the back and it went falling to the ground in multiple pieces.

Jet saw the wretch hit the bottom of the hole and laughed as the ammo container landed on it and exploded in a ball of flame. He could just see the other locust caught by the blast running around trying to put the fire out. Suddenly the burning grub exploded and the hole crumbled and imploded on itself.

"What was that?" Jet asked bewildered.

"I'm guessing that grub's frag went off." Justin said smiling, "That's just great, now we have to sit here bored again!"

Jet smiled and then heard someone shout his name from upstairs.

"Better head up there." Justin said.


	18. Chapter 18: Warrior Soldiers

Chapter 18

"Griiiiiiind!" The deep, gravely voice rumbled from outside the opening in the wall.

"That's a new one." Jack whispered from behind cover as the Boomer stepped into view.

It wore a large metal helmet and carried with it a big, rotating barrel machinegun. It swung the barrel towards the room and advanced cautiously, or was it sluggishly?

Jack looked over at where Daze and Holly were hiding behind a couch. So far the boomer hadn't noticed them, but he wondered if it might see his legs under the chair. Jack looked at the small piece of mirror in Daze's hand. Jet had run up stairs to see if he could maybe take it out from the hole in the ceiling.

Daze had said that the orphanage was pretty nice, with most modern amenities, but the whole place was going to hell pretty fast.

Jack tried to calm his breathing. He wiped a small amount of sweat from his forehead and looked back at Daze who was studying the Boomer intently. Jack wasn't so much scared that there was a Boomer in the building that would kill him as soon as look at him, he was more scared that the mindless brute would start unloading into the furniture at any second.

Jack had realized that about himself long ago. Danger wasn't to be feared. Danger was to be embraced, conquered, destroyed. It was lack of control that drove him to sweat and pant and grip the lancer till his knuckles turned white. He wasn't in control of his situation and that made him nervous. He was waiting, defending. "Whoever attacks calls the shots," he remembered his father saying.

"Attack, attack, always attack!" It was his fathers motto, and Jack had taken it to heart.

He had also realized something else. The locust were anything but unbeatable. They were, for the most part, stupid. Luring drones into ambushes had been easy and moping them up afterwards had been even more so. Their only real advantage was that they seemed numberless, and that they could attack from anywhere. Otherwise they weren't any more difficult to kill than the normal human, well at least the normal infantry weren't. His father had told him that If they knew their enemy, and they did for the most part, and knew themselves, which Jack knew he did, then they would have nothing to fear from a hundred battles.

Yet now Jack was faced with something he didn't know, though it was only slightly unknown to him. He knew Boomers and he knew machineguns, yet he hadn't known the two together.

But if he knew Boomers, then he knew how to kill this one. Jack pulled a smoke grenade from his pocket and looked at Daze. Daze looked worried for a second till Holly gave him a tug and whispered in his ear.

"Stay put." Jack mouthed as he pointed to the ground and pulled the pin.

Jack threw the grenade. It bounced and skittered to a halt next to the outside wall. There was a brief clicking, like the sound of a thrashball card between the spokes of a bicycle and then the deafening roar of the machinegun drowned out all else.

"GRIIIIIIIIND!" The Boomer yelled over the rattle of fire.

Jack leapt from his hiding spot and ran at the lumbering giant. It started to turn its attention away from the harmless smoke grenade, now ripped apart and scattered around the floor, and swung the machinegun towards Jack.

Jack fired a quick burst that shattered part of the helmet but did little else to slow down the beast. He revved the chainsaw of his lancer and swung it towards the Boomer's midsection. Suddenly the Boomer's hand left the handle of the machinegun and knocked Jack against the wall.

Usually they were in the middle of reloading. Jack realized his mistake all to clearly. The clicking sound came again as the Boomer aimed straight for Jack.

"Hey fat ass!" A voice came from the hole in the ceiling above the Boomer.

The Boomer looked up at Jet's smiling face as a stream of fire engulfed it. It roared in pain as it swung the machinegun around, aimlessly firing into the ceiling.

Jack leapt from the wall and ran towards the Boomer. He revved his lancer and swung it down into the Boomers wrist. The saw churned away at the bone then broke through. The lancer swung down and Jack held it behind him for a moment before he flipped it upside down in his left hand, then brought it up through the locusts face. The Boomer's head snapped to the side as brain and bits of eyeball sprayed through the air. Jack watched as the huge frame started to fall when he heard Jet shout to him from the hole.

"Real Boomers!" Jet pointed out past the hole in the wall, "The kind that blow sht up!"

Jack heard the ominous "Boom" as he dashed behind the dead Boomer's body and ran. Almost immediately heat enveloped him and he went flying into the couch which tipped over and sent him sprawling into the laps of Holly and Daze.

"Smooth move dork!" Holly said as she cuffed him on the side of the head, "You almost got yourself killed."

"Tell me later," Jack said as he slid back to his chair and fired at the reloading Boomers, "Just take down the left one first."

Holly and Daze both leaned up on the couch and fired at the advancing Boomer. The wave of bullets ripped into it as it raised a hand to its face to protect it from the incoming fire. The other Boomer, meanwhile, reloaded and raised its boomshot to fire just as the other locust toppled to the ground. Suddenly its head jerked back and then forward again, revealing a gaping hole in its forehead. It fell to the ground as its boomshot discharged harmlessly into the sky.

"That was pretty close!" Daze exclaimed breathlessly as he leaned back into the couch and reloaded his lancer. "Here, lets get those boomshots quick, cover me."

Daze set down his lancer as he moved to the hole and looked out. He saw a barrel sticking out from a window in one of the houses across from him. He pointed it out, then ran out as Holly and Jack's lancers rattled to life. He slid in between the bodies with bullets kicking dust around him. He pulled the ammo belts off the locust and draped them over his shoulder, then he grabbed the boomshots and ran as fast as he could back to the orphanage.

"Go, go, go!" Daze shouted as he ducked back inside the orphanage. Holly and Jack quickly followed him out of the line of fire.

"Take this to Susan." Daze said to Jack, holding out the boomshot and the accompanying ammo belt.

"Be right back." Jack said as he took the items and ran to find Susan.

Daze reloaded the boomshot and set it down on the ground.

"You gonna use that?" Holly asked.

"I'm thinking if giving it to Jack," Daze looked back down the hallway, "Unless you want it?"

"No, no, I trust Jack with it," Holly flashed Daze an impish grin, "Now Jet on the other hand…"

"Heaven forbid!" Daze laughed.

"Heaven forbid what?" Jet shouted from the hole in the ceiling with a certain look of indignation, "You guys were talking about me weren't you!"

"Why would we be talking about?" Daze asked innocently as Holly snickered.

"Look! Look at her!" Jet pointed incredulously at Holly, "She's laughing at me!"

"And why wouldn't she be laughing at you?" Jack said as he jogged back into the room.

"Oh great, now you too!" Jet held the back of his hand to his forehead and assumed the role of the tragedian, "Is the whole of the world allied against me?"

"Oh suck it up!" Jack laughed, "No way in hell you're getting your hands on a boomshot!"

Daze and Holly both looked at him in surprise.

"What else would you have been talking about?" Jack asked as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"You want it?" Daze still looked slightly astonished.

"I'll take it," Jack said with some resignation, "But where should I put my rifle?"

"Set it on the stairs," Daze said. He watched as Jack ran off then came back without the rifle.

"So what do we do now?" Holly asked as they waited at the back of the room, weapons trained on the hole in the wall.

"We attack." Jack said quietly.

Daze looked over at him. "Attack? How?"

"We go in the houses and clear 'em out." Jack looked from Daze to Holly. "Otherwise they'll just sit there and call for reinforcements."

"You're right," Daze said, "But who'll guard this part of the house?"

"I got it!" Jet exclaimed from the hole, "But you guys better not be assholes to me anymore!"

"Deal," Holly said as she loaded her lancer and looked out across the open ground to the houses.

"Then lets go!" Jack loaded the boomshot on his back and clipped the spare ammo to his belt.

Dust fell from the ceiling as hammerbursts rattled from the corner upstairs room of the old, abandoned house.

Daze made his way stealthily up the steps with Jack and Holly right behind.

"Boomshot, through the door." Daze whispered to Jack. The locust must have seen their bolt through the open to get to the house.

Jack nodded and pulled the heavy grenade launcher from his back. He aimed it toward the doorway and fired.

There was a whistling sound as the grenade flew through the air and then an explosion. The grenade exploded into a shower of smaller grenades that made quick work of anything in the room. Daze saw a spray of blood and chunks of flesh go flying as the wall collapsed and revealed the next building over.

"Lets go!" Holly said as she pulled at Daze's sleeve.

"No, lets go this way!" Daze ran up the stairs and checked for any surviving locust. When he found none, he looked across the gap at the other house. It's wall was broken down and there was an easy spot to land.

Although they were technically individual houses, the buildings were more like a freestanding apartment complex. The houses were so close together that they had been the main practice for the teens free-running growing up.

"You expect us to jump?" Holly asked wide eyed.

"Yeah, now lets go." Daze ran to the edge and jumped across easily. Jack followed and made it as well. Holly stepped up to the edge nervously.

"Come on sis!" Jack encouraged her, "It's easy!"

Holly took one last look then jumped. She landed on a piece of broken tile and almost fell when Daze caught her and helped her up.

"Thanks." She said somewhat bashfully.

"No problem, now lets finish these locust." Daze secured the lancer on his back, drew his revolver and looked out down the hallway. Nothing moved.

"Let's go." He whispered as he moved noiselessly down the hall.

Daze heard grunts and low guttural noises coming from one of the rooms down the hallway.

He pulled up next to the doorway and waited as Jack and Holly made their way quietly to him.

Daze glanced in and saw three grubs watching the house. Daze pulled his head back and held up three fingers to Holly and Jack. He pointed to Jack and then motioned to the left side of the room, then to Holly and motioned towards the right side. They both nodded.

Jack moved up to the door and waited. Daze tapped him on the shoulder and he moved in. Daze saw him fan out to the left side of the room then saw flames spurt from the barrel. Daze aimed his pistol and fired one shot. The locust had turned and was bringing it's hammerburst with it when the shot shattered it's head and sent brains and blood spraying onto the windowsill. Daze heard the rattle of a lancer to his right and watched as the last grub fell dead.

"Nice!" Daze said as he turned and high-fived Holly. He gave Jack a satisfied nod, which was returned, and walked out into the hall. Daze ran up and checked the last room before the stairs. Empty except for an old bed.

Daze made his way down the stairs and found a door that looked out at the old strip mall. He saw a hole in the wall and through it saw locust moving around, bringing ammo and supplies into the mall. It looked as if they were setting up headquarters for a lengthy campaign.

"That's not good." Jack looked out the door and watched as the locust hauled a troika into a room.

"I know," Daze replied. He walked off a little way and spoke into the earpiece, "You there Clara?"

"I'm here."

"Are the locust moving at all?" Daze asked.

"No. From what I can tell, I've taken all of them out in the houses opposite the ones you were clearing."

"So where are they now?"

"They're almost exclusively coming from the strip mall."

"Perfect!" Daze smiled and moved back to the door, "We should be back in a little bit."

"Sounds good. I'll keep poppin' heads. Clara out."

"How many are left?" Holly asked as she looked out the door.

"It looks like this is it." Daze said with satisfaction, "How much boomshot ammo you got left Jack?"

"Three shots." He said as he patted the clip on the underside of the heavy weapon.

"Okay good. I want you to take a shot at any locust in the hall as we run down it. Then I want you to reload and find any emergence holes that are out in the parking lot, okay?"

"Got it."

"Good." Daze turned to Holly. "You and I are going to go running down that hall and clear any locust from those rooms before they know what hit them."

Holly nodded as she checked her belt for ammo.

"You short?" Daze asked.

"I have two clips left and this one," She patted the bottom of the lancer, "Plus a few more for my pistol."

"If you need any let me know."

"I will," Holly smiled at him, "Thank you."

Daze looked at Jack and then Holly again. "You guys ready?"

They both nodded.

"Go."

Jack ran through the door and burst into the long hallway of the strip mall.

"Boom." Jack smirked as the boomshot round whistled down the hallway and exploded in the middle of a group of locust.

Daze was right behind him, running down the hall when Jack veered off and jumped out a broken window and went running for a stunned locust standing next to a large emergence hole. The locust started to pull it's hammerburst up when Jack leveled it with a mighty swing from his boomshot. The locust fell on it's back but Jack brought the heavy barrel crashing down on it's head before it could rise. Jack turned to the hole and fired a rocket down it.

Daze looked back down the hallway and saw a grub burst out from the doorway on his left. There was a quick burst from Holly's lancer and Daze saw blood spray along the wall next to him. Already he was past the door and to the next one when he slowed down and looked inside.

A locust with a lancer met him face to face. It revved the chainsaw but before it could swing, Daze had squeezed the trigger and sent a burst of bullets through it's body.

Daze kicked the standing locust to the ground and emptied his clip into a group of five locust that had been scattered at various points watching the orphanage.

"Clear!" Daze heard Holly yell from somewhere in the room next to him.

"Same here!" He shouted back as he reloaded.

Daze ran back out into the hallway and saw Jack fire a burst into a door handle and go crashing through the door into a room without slowing down. Daze ran past as he heard lancer fire.

He stopped at the entrance to a room and looked in. Two drones were working on setting up the troika turret. They had screwed in the base and were just about to mount the machinegun. Daze wondered why they weren't waiting for him, it must be because of the firefight with the house. It was probably drowning out all the noise they were making. Daze saw a streak of blonde hair fly past him and saw Holly rushing for the last door in the hall.

Daze stepped into the room and sprayed one of the locust with lancer fire then drew his pistol with his left hand and shot the other twice in the chest. The drone's mangled corpse fell to the ground as Daze reloaded his pistol.

Daze had stepped out into the hallway when he heard a scream. He looked down the hall and saw Holly's body go flying out the door and skid along the floor to a stop.

"Holly!" Daze shouted as a figure stepped through the doorway and towered over Holly's limp form.

Daze finally got a good look at his enemy. Instead of being naked from the waist up, the Grenadier was clothed in dark red armor. It carried the same large shield and held the heavy pistol in it's left hand. The same scar marked it's face that had both when it attacked the first time and when it had killed Mercy.

The Grenadier looked at Holly and raised it's pistol.

"No!" Daze shouted as he fired his lancer and ran towards the locust.

The pistol roared to life as the Grenadier spun towards him in surprise. Daze saw Holly's body jerk as a spray of blood darkened the floor. A pool started to form around her limp body.

"You son of a btch!" Jack shouted as he fanned out around the locust, firing his lancer.

The Grenadier fired at Daze then took shelter behind it's shield as Jack gained it's flank. It rushed at Jack who ran for it without stopping. He revved his chainsaw and tried to dropkick it as the Grenadier plowed through him with it's shield. Jack was thrown back as the locust crashed through a window and disappeared amidst a hail of gunfire from Daze and then Jack.

Daze started to run for Holly's body

"Holly!" Jack shouted as he slid to a stop in a pool of her blood, "Talk to me Sis!"

Daze ran up and looked down at her body. Blood was trickling from a cut on her head but the real problem was her side. It looked like she had taken two bullets in her lower abdomen. Jack was on his knees and feeling her back as well as around in the wound.

"Is she alive?" Daze asked.

"She's breathing, but for how long is anyone's guess." Jack tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around her stomach then tied it tight. "Do you have any first aid supplies in the house?"

"Yes."

"Then we need to move her now!" Jack moved to her side and slipped his hands under her head and legs.

"I'll radio ahead!"

"Good."

"Clara!" Daze spoke breathlessly into his mic as he helped Jack pick up Holly, "Holly is hit! I need you to get a mattress ready now!"

"Okay! We'll set it up downstairs," Clara sounded worried, "Just get in here quick!"

"Why?"

A loud roar answered his question.


	19. Chapter 19: The Edge of Tartarus

Chapter 19: The Edge of Tartarus

Daze struggled with Jack to carry Holly's body back to the door they had entered through and out into the open.

"You sure the rest of the locust are dead?" Daze asked Clara over the radio.

"Pretty sure," Her voice came back through the earpiece, "And I have you covered if any decide to pop up."

"Thanks." Daze looked down at Holly's body as he and Jack carried her carefully towards the door. A wave of guilt flooded over him as he watched her pale face gently bob up and down.

_Why?_ Daze thought to himself, _Why did it have to happen? Why couldn't we have gotten lucky? Why did someone have to die!_

Jet came running from the house with a worried look on his face.

"Sis!" He shouted as he ran up and grabbed her hand, "Sis? Tell me you're alive!"

Jet looked up despondently into Jack's eyes. Jack merely nodded and let out a large sigh. Daze noticed the extremely worn look that was already taking over his features.

Susan came running out of the house and pulled up next to Daze. Jet pushed in and took his sister from Daze's arms. Jordan came out and relieved Jack as they neared the house.

"Daze," Susan said quietly, "We have the mattress set up downstairs, but we need to get everyone down there."

"Why?"

"The Brumak is almost here," She looked out towards the strip mall as if trying to see through it, "and Daze, it's the same one."

"How?" Daze asked incredulously, "How did it survive?"

"Clara seems to think that the explosion might have worked to cauterize the wound," Susan looked at Daze's angered expression and placed a hand on his arm, "Don't try it Daze, the best thing we can do is hide out where it can't reach."

"And what if it destroys the whole orphanage?" Daze asked with a slight edge to his voice, "What if the monster brings the whole thing down on our heads?"

"What if it doesn't?" Susan asked calmly, "We can always relocate."

"Not with Holly the way she is!" Daze tried to calm his voice as the others made their way into the house and down the steps, "We're here for tonight for sure, so what if the Brumak destroys the generator? What then?"

"But Daze!" Susan pulled him aside and held him firmly by the shoulders, "We can't risk loosing anybody else. We might as well die together then survive broken."

"She's not dead yet." Daze looked sullen as he pushed past Susan and walked into the house. "Why don't you, Jordan, Clara and Justin get out of here and I'll stay with Holly."

"No!" Susan called vehemently from behind him, "We wont abandon you!"

"I'm not asking you to abandon me!" Daze exclaimed, "I'm telling you to go live happy lives! To do what you can and take comfort in each other!"

"Thank you Daze," Susan said resolve firm in her voice, "But we won't do it."

"Then you know why I have to try something." Daze looked out the door as the Brumak's roar echoed through the streets.

Susan sighed as she walked down the stairs. She turned back and looked at Daze, "We'll help how we can."

"Thank you." Daze turned toward the stairs and ascended two at a time. He broke out onto the roof and saw Clara sighting down her scope at the Brumak in the distance.

"It's gonna be here soon Daze," She said without taking her eye from the scope, "Is everyone downstairs?"

"More or less, but they're just helping with Holly." Daze walked to the edge and gazed at the huge locust.

"Will she be okay?" Clara pulled her eye from the scope and looked up at Daze.

Daze tried to look emotionless and strong, but when he looked into Clara's soft, loving eyes he sighed and his face contorted into a look of sorrow. "No, probably not."

"Oh," Clara leaned her rifle against the wall and gave Daze a hug, "It'll be okay."

"We can only hope so." Daze turned and walked back to the door that led downstairs, "Is there anyway of taking out that cannon on it's back?"

"There should be," Clara said as she looked down her scope again, "The tank shot loosened it, a couple of boomshot rounds might be enough to put it out of commission."

"I'll get Jack and Susan up here to try and take it out."

Daze heard a distant boom, then a massive explosion shook the orphanage.

"What was that?" He shouted as a ball of flame and smoke rose into the sky.

"It just fired at us!" Clara fired a shot from her rifle then reloaded quickly, "The cannon is loose so it's aim must be off, it still destroyed one of the houses though! Hurry up!"

Daze ran down the stairs and was met by Susan.

"Is Holly taken care of?" Daze asked.

"Yes, now what are we doing?" Susan waited, boomshot in hand.

"Head up to the roof and try and take out the heavy cannon," Daze started running down the stairs again, "I'll get Jack to help you!"

Daze ran to the stairway that led down into the basement. "Jack! I need you're help. We got a Brumak to kill!"

Jack came bounding up the steps.

"Head up stairs and wait till the right moment. Try and take out anything that's holding the cannon on it's back."

"Got it!" Jack said as he ran up the steps.

Daze hurried down the stairs and into the basement.

"Is she alright?" He asked as he walked up to the mattress.

"As alright as she's ever gonna be tonight." Justin rose from the wooden crate he was seated on and walked to Daze and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Daze looked at her, lying on her back, face calm yet deathly white. "Did you stop the bleeding?"

"Susan did," Justin looked his friend in the eye and tried to comfort him, "She told me not to disturb her unless we had to run, otherwise the bleeding might start up again."

Daze gave a final look to the motionless form on the mattress and walked to the stairs.

He turned and dashed up the steps as fast as he could.

"Daze!" Susan's voice rang out from the third floor.

Daze stopped and ran back down the stairs then over to where Susan and the others were waiting. Even Clara had come down from her lookout.

"What's going on?" Daze asked.

"We're going to wait till it gets close enough then try and take out the cannon." Susan told him as he walked up.

They were all gathered in Daze and the other guys old room. Dust fell from the ceiling as the house shook with the heavy steps of the approaching locust. Clara was waiting at one of the windows with Jack. The shutters were closed but they could still see through the cracks between the slats.

"Where is Jet?" Daze asked looking around the room.

"I think he said he was on the second floor somewhere," Jack said, looking from the window, "said he had a surprise."

"Hope it's good." Daze said as he watched the closed windows.

"Shh!" Clara whispered as the orphanage ceased to shake. "It's here!"

Daze waited in silence. Susan moved to the unoccupied window and peeked out through an opening.

"Clara!" Daze whispered to her as she retreated from the window, "Hand me your knife!"

Clara immediately slipped the sheath from her back and handed it to Daze, a questioning look in her eye.

Daze brushed her question aside with a shake of his head and secured the knife on his belt.

"Now!" Jack shouted as he kicked the shutter away and fired the boomshot at the locust. Susan followed his lead and also fired a shot.

Jack's rocket had been aimed for the cannon itself, and now it exploded sending pieces of metal and flesh flying. Susan had aimed for the large harness on the locust's torso and the explosion ripped apart the leather and metal bindings so that the only thing holding the cannon was a single, large chain. The cannon swung loosely, though it still held on.

"Look out!" Susan screamed as the Brumak brought it's arm mounted machinegun swinging across the house, tearing through the wall and sending wood onto the teens.

"Follow me!" Daze shouted as he ran to the steps. The others jumped up to follow when they heard a wild yell from just below them.

"Suck on this ugly!" Jet shouted as a the sound of a heavy machinegun roared to life. Daze jumped down the stairs and turned the corner to see Jet firing the Boomer's chain gun at the Brumak.

"Jet!" Daze shouted, "Let's go!"

"One second!" Jet yelled as he swung the gun back and forth, "Ha ha! Yes!"

Daze heard a clanking noise and then a thud as the cannon fell off the locust's back.

"Oh crap!" Jet yelled and jumped back from the gun just as the Brumak's huge arm crashed through the wall and ripped the machinegun away. "Okay let's go!"

"Daze!" Clara hopped out of the stairway and pulled at his arm as Jet rushed past, "The others are already down, lets go!"

"Get down there!" Daze shouted as he took off running for the opening left by the locust. He pulled off his carbine and his lancer and tossed them aside.

"Daze!" Clara shrieked in alarm, "You'll get yourself killed!"

"I'll be fine, now go!"

Daze secured his revolver then drew both knives as he took a running leap for the Brumak's body.

The knives bit deep into the Brumak as Daze slid down it's back. The Brumak let out a roar of pain and spun around to see what had attacked it.

Daze struggled to hold on as the great beast turned. It finally stopped and Daze was able readjust his grip. He pulled one knife out of it's back and stabbed it up higher as he struggled to climb up the locust's back.

It roared again and turned it's back to the house. Daze looked over his shoulder and saw the house come rushing to meet him. He jerked the knives out of the locust's flesh and fell to the ground. He heard a crash of glass and wood as he landed and rolled away from the falling debris…right into the Brumak's gaze.

Lying still on the ground, Daze slowly sheathed his knife and drew his revolver. The beast stared at him. The right half of it's mask had been blown away by Dio's shot from the tank revealing thick, fleshy skin and a small beady eye. Suddenly the Brumak roared and raised a giant foot into the air. Daze rolled over twice and aimed his pistol at the Brumak's face. He fired three shots at the beast as it's foot came crashing down next to him and saw them dent the surface of it's large metal mask. He fired one last shot as he scrambled to his feet and made a break from the monster.

It roared in pain as it's fist slammed into the ground where Daze had just been. He turned to look at it and saw with delight that the last bullet had shattered the orange glass shield in front if it's eye and that blood was now pouring from the hole in the mask.

He stopped to fire another shot but thought better of it as the Brumak's wrist machinegun roared to life. Daze ran towards the strip mall, weaving back and forth. He dove into it as bullets shattered brick and stone around him.

"Daze!" Clara's frantic voice came through the earpiece, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Daze panted heavily, "But I could use some help, all we have to do is take out it's eyes!"

"We're kinda out of commission right now Daze, there was a cave in on the steps. We can't even get upstairs."

"Aw crap!" Daze sighed, "Well I'll tell you when its…"

Daze heard the Brumak roar right behind him and jumped forward as it's huge arm came crashing through the building. The Brumak looked down through the hole and roared as if in defiance of him.

Daze secured his pistol and grabbed his knife from his belt. He ran at the beast and jumped for it's arm as it raised the machinegun and fired.

Daze stabbed into the Brumak's arm and hung on as it jerked it's arm out of the building and back into the sunlight. He raised Clara's diamond tipped knife and stabbed it into the gun. It punctured the metal but did nothing to stop the roar of the gun. He looked for any kind of clasp or strap or chain that might hold the gun on it's arm. Suddenly the locust shook its arm and Daze slipped from on top of it and frantically stabbed Clara's knife in the other side of it's arm for more grip.

Then he saw it.

Underneath the arm was a large metal plate that was strapped to the gun tightly with a thick, leather-like hide. Daze swung his legs up around the arm and held on as he pulled Clara's knife out of it's arm and thrust it up into the leather. He pulled it out and stabbed it in again as the Brumak raised it's arm along with Daze and swung it down towards the ground. Suddenly the leather snapped and the gun went sailing through the air. It broke the chains that helped to hold it and shattered into the ground

Daze jammed Clara's knife back into it and held on for dear life. The Brumak stopped swinging it's arm around randomly and swung it straight back into it's body. Daze pulled the knives out and fell from the locust just as it's arm impacted. He tried to get his legs under him but was unable and slammed into the ground, shoulder first.

Daze gasped trying to get the air back in his lungs when a grip of steel closed around his legs. He stabbed Clara's knife into the concrete in desperation but had to let go as the Brumak picked him up and swung him around.

Daze could feel the blood rushing to his head when suddenly he was free, sailing through the air with nothing holding him.

He looked up and saw the orphanage flying towards him in time to curl into a ball and brace his body for the impact.

Daze heard a sickly cracking noise among the shattering glass as he sailed through a window and landed against the opposite wall and fell down onto a bed, Justin's bed. He laid there, ears ringing with world seeming to spin around him. His shoulder ached and so did his back as well as the numerous places on his arms and legs where the glass had cut him. Daze groaned and checked his bones for any breaks.

None. He was lucky.

Daze looked out the window he had just entered through and saw the Brumak approaching.

"Can't you just go away?" Daze groaned.

The house shook as the Brumak crashed into it with it's shoulder.

Daze fell out of the bed and hobbled towards the stairs. He made his way up them slowly and finally found the door that led to the roof.

Daze shook off the lethargy that was dragging at his limbs and walked to the side of the roof. Even though the orphanage was large, the top of the Brumak's head peaked over the railing's edge. He pulled out his pistol and fired at the Brumak.

It roared with rage as it looked and found Daze standing there, knife in one hand and pistol in the other, staring straight back at it with a look of resolve and defiance in his eye.

Daze backed up as it swung it's arm for him, crashing through the railing and tearing a large gap in the roof.

The Brumak stood and growled. It watched Daze with it's small, savage eye and waited for him to make his move.

Daze backed up a little further then stopped. He hesitated a split-second then ran straight for the edge.

The Brumak opened it's huge maw and roared as Daze leapt from the roof and flew through the air towards it. He sailed just over it's head and caught his knife in the exposed flesh of it's forehead. He swung around behind it's head, stuck the pistol's barrel against the back of it's neck and started to squeeze the trigger. Suddenly the Brumak dipped it's head and brushed Daze with it's arm as it tried to knock him off.

Daze slipped from it's neck and swung around in front of it's head, dangling by his left arm just above the razor sharp teeth. The mouth snapped as it tried to get at his legs. Daze stuck one leg against it's nostrils and the other against the cheek bone as he steadied himself with the knife and looked the Brumak in the eye.

"I want Dio back you son of a Btch!" Daze muttered bitterly as he drew back his right arm and, with all his might, punched the barrel of his fathers revolver through the Brumak's eye socket, "Now go to Hell."

Daze pulled the trigger.

He watched and listened as the roar of the pistol put an end to the monsters life. Daze withdrew the knife and leapt from the beast's face through the hole in the wall and landed on the floor. He turned and watched as the Brumak stumbled backwards and went crashing to the ground.

Daze leaned back against the wall and sighed.

After retrieving his weapons Daze descended the steps and walked around the orphanage to an odd slope in the ground leading down to a door. The driveway came up to the front of the orphanage and split to make a circle so a person could drive around and not have to back up. But at one point the driveway split off and ran around to the side of the orphanage and then down below the main level to a sort of basement Garage.

Daze walked up to the small garage door and knocked. It was immediately opened by Justin and Clara, who rushed out to hug him.

"Are you okay?" She said as she frantically searched him for any wounds, "How did you do that? How did you kill a Brumak with a pistol? It is dead right?"

"Yeah, and I don't really know how I killed it." Daze said confusedly as he stumbled into the entrance of the garage and sat down. "How is Holly?"

"Same," Justin said as he squatted down next to Daze and gave him a rub on the shoulder, "Which is better than worse."

"Yeah," Daze looked dejected, "But I'd really like some good news right about now."

There was a whizzing noise and a thud in the house above them. Daze looked up and saw a strange metal arrow sticking from the side of the house. He lazily rolled backwards into the garage as it exploded.

"Well Frick!" Daze sighed as he looked away in the distance. "Reavers."

His face was enveloped in shadow as Clara and Justin scrambled to close the door.


	20. Chapter 20: The Valley of Death

Chapter 20: The Valley of Death

"What now?" Clara asked panting, "How do we take them out?"

"Depends, how much ammo do we have left?" Daze was sprawled out on the floor staring up into the ceiling.

"I have quite a bit," Clara said, indicating the bandoliers on her body, "But I don't know about the others."

"We have six hammerburst magazines," Susan commented from the doorway, "Two lancer clips, whatever Justin has for his shotgun, and three clips for your rifle plus any extra cartridges you got floating around."

"So not enough for a prolonged fight huh?" Daze leaned his head back against the floor. "Well, I guess I'll try and draw them off."

"Again?" Clara was exasperated. "How many times are you going to do this?"

"Just once more," Daze said without flinching, "Besides, I'm the only one who knows how to ride the motorcycle."

"Oh." Clara looked at the ground dejectedly.

Daze rose from the ground and walked to the doorway that led into the room where everyone had gathered. Holly's body still lay on the mattress in the center of the room. Daze walked up to Jordan and clasped hands with him.

"It's been fun." Daze was quiet and subdued.

"Yeah man," Jordan looked at the ground then raised his eyes to Daze's, "See you soon."

Daze held his gaze a moment longer then released his hand and walked to Jack and Jet.

"It's been quite an honor to make your acquaintance," Daze said as he held out his hand.

"The honor's been mine." Jack said as he took Daze's hand and firmly shook it.

"Yeah man, you've been really cool!" Jet said as he forwent Daze's outstretched hand and gave him a hug.

"Okay?" Daze smiled at Jet's enthusiastic response.

Daze let go of Jet and looked down at Holly's motionless form. He squatted down next to her and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm so sorry," He whispered as he tucked a loose curl of hair behind her ear, "It was my fault."

Daze got up and walked to Susan.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked as she embraced him.

"It has to be done," Daze held his friend close.

"But can't it be done some other way?"

"I'm the only one who doesn't have someone waiting for me," Daze said as he looked into her eyes, "No one will be heartbroken if I'm gone."

"Not…quite…" Came a feeble voice from the mattress.

"Sis!" Jet exclaimed as he rushed over to his sister, "You're alive!"

Jack rushed to her side as well, kneeling next to her.

"Just what are you saying?" Daze asked with a sly smile in his eye.

"Just…please come back," Holly gave Daze a pained wink then fell back on the mattress. She pointed to an old lantern on a crate, "Take it, it was Dio's. I grabbed it when she was shot just in case she wanted it back."

"Thank you." Daze locked eyes with Holly once more then grabbed the lantern and walked out the door that led into the garage. He gave Justin a hug and then did the same to Clara.

"What if you don't come back?" Clara asked as she looked up into his eyes.

Daze let her question linger as he bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

"You've always been the twin sister I never had," Daze wiped the tears from her cheek, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Why don't I believe you?" She sniffed as she buried her head in his shoulder.

"I may be only human," Daze whispered in her ear, "But I am a beast!"

"And a dork!" Clara laughed through the tears and squeezed Daze tighter then smiled as she looked him in the eye. "See ya."

Daze released Clara and moved to his motorcycle. He clipped the lantern on the bike then grabbed the goggles from his pocket that he had taken from the locust body. He pulled them on and rested them on his forehead.

"Everyone come out here quick," He spoke into the room where the others were sitting, "Susan, tell everyone how much ammo they can use then everyone get ready."

"One clip at most," She said as she walked into the room, "Why? What are you thinking?"

"Get ready," Daze pulled his goggles on as he straddled the motorcycle and pulled it back into the open in front of the door, "I want you to cover me as I go."

Everyone filed into the room and got their weapons ready. They took cover behind boxes and other random junk.

"Jack?" Daze asked as he turned the key and flipped out the kick-bar, "How do I get to Lethia from here?"

"Just follow Loyalty highway till you get to exit forty-seven." Jack pondered for a moment, "I think you take a right after that but it might be a left, either you'll hit the imulsion facility or the town itself. Why?"

"I want a place to go when the kryll come out."

"There aren't as many up in the mountains but they'll find anything and swarm it."

"Don't they always. I have Dio's lantern just incase," Daze patted the lantern at his side then kick started the motorcycle. "You guys ready?"

Susan gave him the thumbs up as she patted the boomshot's large clip then grabbed something from her belt tossed it to Daze. Daze looked down at the smoke grenade and smiled. He looked around the room and got nods and thumbs up from all of his friends.

Daze choked up. He looked around the room one more time as the engine idled. This could be the end. Daze pulled the radio from his ear and tossed it to Clara. "You'll need it!" He mouthed as he revved the engine. She nodded back and the turned toward the door.

"Now!" Daze shouted to Justin who waited by the door.

Justin threw the door open then dove for cover as a spike tipped tentacle flew into the garage.

The teens opened fire and two locust went falling to the ground as a reaver flew off, rider less, into the sky. Another reaver dropped to the ground and a drone started to fire it's machinegun into the garage.

A boom sounded next to Daze and he watched as the reaver exploded, sending blood and chunks of flesh splattering along the ground.

Daze released the clutch and shot out of the garage. He noticed a reaver perched on one of the roofs, then saw out of the corner of his eye as the driver was hit by a sniper round. Daze didn't look back as he went out the gate to the orphanage and flew off down the road towards Loyalty highway.

He turned and went up the entrance ramp as bullets shattered the pavement around him. Daze looked back and noticed that only one of the reavers was following him.

_The Grenadier,_ Daze thought, _Now I just have to find a way to kill him!_

Daze slowed down slightly but sped up again as a large explosion shattered the pavement right behind him.

_Crap!_ He thought as he struggled for control,_ I hope he doesn't have too many of those!_

Daze regained control and headed down the highway towards an overpass. He wondered why the locust wasn't keeping up a constant fire on him. Wouldn't it keep firing in hopes of hitting him? Then Daze realized that when Clara had taken out the driver it had forced the Grenadier to pilot the beast and no longer shoot. How had it fired then?

Daze drew his revolver then leaned back and took a shot at the reaver. Neither the pilot or reaver so much as flinched.

_This is gonna be a long ride!_ Daze thought to himself. He watched as mile marker twelve flew past. Daze's thoughts floated between his current predicament and the memories of his friends. He hoped that he would see them again, though hope was all he could afford at the moment.

Daze settled in for the long grind as he flew off down the road.

* * * *

The fist pounded on the door for the third time in as many minutes. _What if they had left?_ The thought flew through Daze's mind, _What if they're dead? Where will I go? _

Alone, desperate, and only fourteen, Daze turned from the door and stepped down into a harsh world. A world he knew he wouldn't come back from. The memory of his father gripped at his throat as hopelessness began to claw it's way into his soul. He was about to collapse on the stoop to cry when a sound from behind stopped him.

"Daze!" Justin shouted as he rushed from the doorway and hugged him. "What are you doing here man?"

Daze sunk to the ground in relief as his friend clutched at him.

"Dude?" Justin said as he struggled to keep Daze off the ground, "You all right?"

Daze turned around and returned his friends hug.

"How's your dad?" Justin asked in a subdued tone.

Daze pulled back from his friend then reached down and pulled the Cog tags from his shirt.

"I'm sorry man." Justin stepped back leaned against the doorway. He slid down it to the ground and put a hand to his face. Veritas had been the main father figure for the orphans. He brought treats for the girls whenever he found some and played thrashball in the back with the boys. He had also help out with the orphanage whenever Maria had been down on funds.

The teens all thought that Maria and Veritas should get married, but they never did. There wasn't even a hint of romance, though the occasional harmless flirting did occur.

Justin rested his hands on his knees as he remembered the man who could easily have been his own father.

"I'm gonna miss him." Daze said as he walked over and held out his hand to Justin.

"Yeah, me too." Justin grasped Daze's arm and pulled himself up, "We better get inside, there'll be a lot of people happy to see you."

* * * *

The reaver swooped in close and jabbed a tentacle at Daze. He swerved around a car and saw the spike puncture the roof. The reaver nearly stopped as it circled around the car trying to pull it's tentacle free.

_At least I get a breather,_ Daze thought as he gunned the motorcycle and shot ahead into an open stretch of road. Daze could just make out mile marker twenty-five as he flew down the highway.

* * * *

"Daze!" Clara squealed as she rushed to him and hugged him, "You're back! Is your dad here too?"

"No," Daze said quietly, "But I'm here to stay."

"Ohhhhhh," Clara's eyes softened, "Now I'm sad!"

"Don't be," Daze said as he smiled, albeit weakly, "I've made my peace."

"Well that's good," Clara immediately shed the veil of saddness and was her chipper, perky self again, "So! What do you want to hear about first?"

"What is there to hear about?"

"Well Jordan and Susan are pretty much engaged!"

"What?" Daze laughed in surprise, "They had barely met when I left, and it hasn't even been a year!"

"That's what we've all been saying!" Clara laughed.

"Hey!" A voice rang out from the kitchen, "Who's that I hear out there?"

"No one Maria," Clara giggled a little then put her hand to her mouth as she called, "Just the prodigal son!"

"You're kidding!" Maria burst through the door then leaned against the wall, drying a plate with a look of satisfaction "So, you here to stay?"

"Yeah." Daze was beginning to catch everyone's enthusiasm, a smile was even creeping over his face, "I should be here for good."

"Then I take it you father…"

Daze nodded.

"He was a good man," Maria said solemnly, "A great man. Sera could use more like him."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me."

"It's the truth, nothing more or less," Maria turned to enter the kitchen but stopped a moment, "Justin, get Daze set up with you and Jordan."

"Yes Ma'am!" Justin said as Maria pushed through the door back into the kitchen.

"So," Clara picked up just where she left off, "Justin and I are "dating" if you can call it that, there's a new girl named Mercy and…"

Daze's heart sunk as he smiled and nodded. The world had just grown heavier and he could feel it's weight crushing him into the dust. Daze looked away from Clara's eyes, he couldn't stand to right now lest his own eyes give away his feelings.

"Are you alright Daze?" Clara stopped mid-sentence.

"I'm kinda tired," Daze said as he took a deep breath to calm himself, "And everything is just happening so fast, I think I need a nap or something."

"We'll bring you upstairs, get you set up in your room," Justin said as he shouldered Daze's bag and headed for the steps.

Daze got up and followed Justin. Clara came beside Daze and wrapped an arm around him.

"It's good to have you back Daze!" She said as she leaned her head and shoulder into him.

"It's good to be back." Daze said as he walked up the stairs after Justin.

* * * *

Daze opened his eyes. Trees rose high around him, sunlight filtering in from high above. Where was he?

He had taken exit forty-seven and then turned right, he remembered that much. But why was he lying on the ground and where was his motorcycle?

A shadow passed across his face. Daze rolled immediately as the reaver struck. The tentacle stuck in the ground, was retracted, then shot at him again. Daze dodged then ran out from under the beast and ducked behind a tree. Bullets embedded in it's bark as the Grenadier fired it's heavy pistol.

Daze drew his revolver and peeked out from behind the tree. The reaver seemed to be looking for him while the Grenadier held it's aim steady. It fired just as Daze pulled his head back.

Daze remembered what had happened. He had turned right with the reaver following close behind him only to find himself on an old road that seemed more like a path. He had looked back and saw that the Grenadier was about to fire the reaver's rocket. He turned around and tensed himself to get control of the bike when it shot. The Grenadier's shot had been in front of him so all Daze had done was get ready to ride through a crater, but when he emerged from the smoke, an old junker was right in front of him.

_I probably shouldn't have jammed on the brakes so hard,_ Daze thought as he rubbed his head, _At least I wasn't out too long._

An explosion shattered the tree trunk sent Daze to the ground, ears ringing. The reaver appeared over Daze again and he struggled to roll away this time. The tentacle struck just behind him when Daze reached out and grabbed hold of it. The reaver jerked it back and Daze was on his feet and running towards the motorcycle. He pulled the smoke grenade from his pocket and tossed it just in front of him.

There was a small explosion and then the smoke enveloped him. He reached the bike and pulled it up as the Grenadier roared with anger from behind him.

Daze started the motorcycle and turned up a small path, hoping to loose the reaver in between the trees.

He looked back and could see the reaver just disappearing from sight.

Daze gunned the engine as the terrain started to rise. He scanned the woods for any break in the foliage. Up ahead he could see the ground rising as the flat woods gave way to a hill or mountain.

The woods were beginning to thin and Daze could see open sky ahead of him. He made for a small break in the brush and then burst out into the fading sunlight. The grassy field inclined gently up and up till Daze could see the "peak" of the mountain, though it wasn't much of a mountain. Ahead he saw what looked like huge boulder, almost like a slab of rock that had fallen from the mountain and now sat as a huge table, one fit to entertain giants.

Daze made for this as he looked back to see if the Grenadier had followed him.

Daze was on the brink of hope when the reaver rose from the trees below and began to scan the surrounding area.

"Ah crap!" Daze muttered to himself as the reaver shot towards him. He had a good head start but the reaver was faster and it didn't have to worry about bumps in the ground. If Daze beat it to the rocks, it wouldn't be by much.

Daze shifted into high gear and rode straight for the rocks. As he drew nearer he realized that it wasn't a rock at all, but an old fort or castle made of stone.

Actually, it looked too small to be a castle. Daze saw from a distance that it wasn't all that tall, mostly just long except for a tower that rose from one of the corners. The walls looked like they were little higher than fifteen feet, if that.

Daze looked back over his shoulder to see how close the reaver was but was distracted by the beauty of the scene before him. He realized how high up he was when he could just make out the tips of the buildings of Jacinto. He could see a town here, a ruined highway there, but most of it was comprised of rolling hills of grass and even farther away, the desert plains stretching into the distance.

A burst of gunshots brought him back to the present. He looked and saw that the Grenadier was closing in but not quite fast enough to beat him to the fort. Daze gunned the engine for the last fifty or so yards then braked as responsibly as he could and hopped off the motorcycle. He hit the ground, rolled, and was up on his feet and running into a hole in the wall.

Daze found himself in a dark room. Light filtered in from a doorway at the other end. Daze made his way towards it. He went through the doorway and found himself in another room, this one with windows that let in the rapidly receding light.

Daze ran out of the room and into a courtyard. He could see other openings into the wall that looked to be rooms or lodgings, and also noticed a keep or blockhouse in the middle for defensive stands. Daze ran to a flight of stairs and made his way up them two at a time. He found himself on the wall, looking out over the plain.

He searched rapidly for the reaver. It was nowhere in sight. Then with a burst of bullets, it came diving out of the sun straight for him. It swooped in and landed in the courtyard, striking and attacking with it's long tentacles. Daze pulled out his knife and struck at one of the tentacles as it flew past him. He swung the knife down into the tentacle and the tip went skittering along the ground. The reaver screeched in pain as it struck at him again. Daze dodged it and went running for the edge of the wall. He leapt from the edge as the Grenadier raised it's pistol to fire. Daze held the knife over his head and brought it down towards the locust's neck. The Grenadier raised it's arm to block Daze but the knife still managed to slip in between the cracks of it's gauntlet and into its arm.

The Grenadier roared with rage as it swung it's free arm to knock Daze from the reaver.

As Daze fell to the ground, the real object of his attack came free and he landed and rolled in front of the reaver.

Daze pulled the pin from the grenade and held it ready. The reaver growled and hissed at Daze as he stood in front of it, knife in one hand, grenade in the other.

The reaver suddenly opened it's mouth and charged. Daze took the grenade and shoved it into the reaver's mouth and dove inside one of the rooms in the wall. He heard the grenade beep and then an explosion rocked the fort. Blood along with chunks of flesh flew through the door and landed against the opposite wall. Daze stood up and looked for the Grenadier. He saw a pile of red armor along with the shield that it had used.

Daze rushed for it to make sure that it was dead. He stepped up to it and was about to fire his pistol when a hand flew from what had looked like a pile of remains and struck Daze in the chest. Daze flew backward as the locust rose and walked toward him with a look of hatred and malice.

It's shield was on it's arm and the pistol was in it's right hand. It roared as it charged Daze. Daze struggled to his feet and was only just able to dodge the swing of the shield. He ducked as it came swinging across his head. Daze buried his knife in the Grenadier's exposed back and then jumped out of the way as it swung the shield back again.

The locust roared in pain and held the shield in front of it. With a metallic clink, the shield opened up and covered the locust's body. Daze dove for cover as the pistol bucked in the Grenadier's hand. Bullets kicked up dust and stone all around him as he ran behind the corner of the blockhouse.

The locust fired three more bursts and then stopped. Daze peered around the corner to see the locust reloading the pistol. Daze leapt from cover and ran towards the Grenadier. He drew his revolver and tried to get around it so he could land a shot, but the locust just kept turning with him, slowly and methodically reloading it's own pistol. Daze tried to make a cut back and get the locust's momentum to give him just enough room to get a shot, but when he planted his foot it shot out from under him on a patch of gravel and he fell to the ground.

It saved his life.

The locust fired at the same moment and the bullets flew over Daze's head glancing harmlessly off the rocks behind. The Grenadier roared with rage as it collapsed it's shield and ran for Daze who was lying motionless on the ground. Daze spun over and fired a hasty shot at the locust. The shot struck the locust in the side but did little to kill it. Instead, it caused the Grenadier to reopen his shield and advance slowly towards Daze, planning to finish him off.

Daze aimed carefully and fired a shot. It hit the locust in the shin and cut through flesh and bone causing the bone to slip out of place and crash into the ground, leaving the severed foot standing upright on the ground.

Daze hopped up and rushed around the locust's right side but dove inside a low window when it fired another burst from it's pistol.

Daze looked up over the sill at the Grenadier. The locust stared back at him, unflinching. With a great heave, it lifted the shield high over it's head then slammed it down into the ground. It pulled it's shattered left leg in front of it's body and rested it's weight on it's right. The locust trained the pistol on Daze, though it didn't fire.

Daze looked about for some way to kill it. He would have to waste it's ammo to be able to run out into the open, then if he could just get to that column…

A burst from the pistol forced Daze to duck again. _There's two shots._ Daze thought as he drew his own revolver. He fired a couple shots over the window sill but heard them ricochet harmlessly of the shield.

Daze looked out again. It stood there, same as before, watching him patiently.

Daze jumped up over the window sill and immediately dove left. A burst of bullets shattered the stone around him but he escaped un hit. The Grenadier grunted and lifted the shield from the ground. It stumbled as the bone of it's left foot lost it's grip on the hard stone ground, but it caught itself with the shield.

The locust tried to train it's pistol on Daze, but a large broken column came between it and Daze.

Daze saw the column and the piece of it that was lying at the foot of the larger piece. Daze turned and ran for it. He stepped on the first one and jumped to the second, then with a great leap, he pulled his legs up towards his chest then extended them in an inverted back flip. Time seemed to slow as Daze looked "up" and came face to face with the Grenadier. He saw the scar that marked it's eye. Saw it's cracked, ugly skin, and saw it's grisly, bloody teeth pulled into a fierce snarl.

And then Daze extended his pistol and shot the Locust.

The bullet entered through the forehead, traveled down it's spine, and exited from it's lower back as Daze carried the back flip through, landed with a roll and came up. He turned hesitantly and saw the locust's body sprawled out along the ground.

Daze fell to his knees and sat in silence as the sun disappeared under the horizon. He was spent. Every last ounce of emotional and physical strength had been used up in the last two days and now all he wanted was sleep.

He rose from the ground and walked to the locust and picked up it's shield. It was nearly too heavy for him to carry, especially in his weakened state. Daze stooped and grabbed the pistol. He was about to grab the ammo when he realized that he'd have to spend the night here.

And then panic took him. Daze dropped the shield and pistol and ran for the motorcycle. He thought he could hear the Kryll as they swirled and swooped through the sky. He started to sweat as he searched for the same hole he had entered through, but it was far too dark to recognize anything in the fort.

_No!_ He thought. _Not after everything that's happened!_

Daze ran to the wall and then ran the length of the fort. Dusk was ending and darkness was setting in as Daze saw a light erupt from the surface near Timgad but his fear pushed it from his mind. Any moment the kryll would burst from their fissures and tear him to pieces.

"No!" Daze shouted desperately, "Not like this!"

Then he saw his bike. He jumped from the wall and hit the ground hard. He hadn't thought to roll but did anyway as his momentum carried him into the dirt. Daze struggled up and started to crawl. His hands slipped out from under him and he fell, hitting his head on a rock. He rolled over as his head started to spin then saw the clouds envelope him.

Then Daze slipped from the world.

* * * *

Daze entered the room behind Justin. He had been here many times before, back when he had lived next to the orphanage with his father.

"This will be your bed!" Justin said cheerily as he tossed Daze's bag on the bed.

"Sweet." Daze was a little less enthusiastic.

"I know!" Clara said cheerfully, "Do you want us to get Susan and Jordan for you?"

"How about you let me sleep till dinner time." Daze said as he pulled his bag from the bed.

"Okay then!" Clara and Justin walked from the room, "I'll get you when the food is ready. Later!"

Clara shut the door. Daze didn't know why he felt this way, but he knew that he desperately needed the rest. He walked to the bed and flung himself down onto it. Almost immediately sleep took him. Not fitful, violent sleep. But soothing, restful, rejuvenating slumber.

* * * *

"Wake up Daze!" Clara's voice echoed through his mind. "It's time to wake up, Jordan and Susan want to say hi!"

Daze opened his eyes. The room was gone, and nothing of the dark night remained. He stared at the bright morning sky for a few minutes then rolled over. His head ached and was slightly bloody, his shoulder was also stiff but he didn't feel anything else out of place, except for the dull pain that throbbed throughout his body.

Daze looked about him. There was the motorcycle, and the lantern was there exactly where he had left it.

"But…" Daze looked into the sky confused, "But what about the Kryll?"

Daze wondered what might have happened. Maybe they wouldn't have noticed him lying there motionless. Whatever it was Daze was thankful. He was alive. He was healthy, sort of. And He would be able to make it back to the orphanage without too much trouble.

Daze walked over to his motorcycle and picked it up. He started it and revved the engine a few times.

"Well," He sighed as he pulled on his goggles, "It's been quite a ride."

Daze gunned the engine and shot off down the hill towards home with yell of joy.


	21. Epilogue: The Elysian Fields

Epilogue: The Elysian Fields

The brunet receptionist worked feverishly through her stack of papers, looking for the sheet of names that listed who was, and who wasn't in the hospital at the moment. She heard heavy footsteps approaching along with the clink of armor.

She sighed, "Hopefully he'll show at least some common courtesy." She continued shuffling through the papers till she finally found the one she wanted.

She was aware of someone standing near her desk. She looked up.

Before her stood the tallest man she had ever seen. He was battered and bruised, a large bandage on his side, with dirt and grime on his face and in his hair. He was wearing COG armor that appeared to have been painted red, but something told her it was blood. Maybe the smell?

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked in awe.

"You done with whatever you were doing?" The man's deep voice rumbled her penholder.

"Yes. I just found what I needed."

"Alright. Think you could run a search and see if Rojas is back yet?"

"Rojas…" The receptionist paused, "Uh, just Rojas I guess. Um, let me check."

"Thank you kindly," The big man said as he leaned back and waited.

"I'm sorry, but his Cog tags were received this morning." The receptionist looked up and saw the pain that crossed the soldiers face, "KIA."

"Hmm." The big man's brow furrowed as he thought for a moment, "Here."

He pulled a pair of Cog tags from his pocket and set them on the counter, then turned and walked toward the door.

The receptionist took them and looked them over.

"James Cather," She muttered as she began to input the CSID into the computer, "You know him?"

"A little. No-account, whisky swillin' jack-ass from what I hear," The man turned and gave the girl a smile, "Have a good day Ma'am."

The receptionist smiled as she finished inputting the code. A picture and popped up on the screen. The receptionist started in surprise.

"Sir!" She called out towards the door, "Wait, I think…"

The doors swung back in and he was gone.

* * * *

It had taken long enough but he had finally found it.

He looked out at the large building that rose like a lone sentinel from among the surrounding houses. An old Junker was parked near the house and from the looks of it, was being readied for a trip.

The man walked up to the old house and knocked on the door. It was opened quickly by a pretty girl with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She was propped up on a crutch and he could tell there was a bandage wrapped around her waist. She tucked a loose curl of hair behind her ear as she smiled.

"Is Daze here?" The man asked in his deep, rumbling voice.

"He sure is!" Holly turned and yelled down the hall for Daze, "So, you coming with us? We're heading out today."

"I reckon I might as well."

"I say we consummate it tonight, under the stars," Daze said as he walked up behind Holly and gave her a peck on the ear, "So what is it thou dost require my love?"

Daze looked up with stunned surprise.

"You got room for one extra?" Cather asked smiling.

"Depends on how big he is." Daze said, his smile spreading from ear to ear.


End file.
